Senate Stuns Nigerians: Rejects Mandatory Real-Time Election Result Transmission

Abuja — In a move that has reignited debates over Nigeria’s electoral credibility, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposed amendment to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV). The vote effectively allows INEC to retain discretion over how results are transmitted, a loophole critics say contributed to controversies in the 2023 general elections.

 

The rejected provision was part of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and would have legally compelled INEC presiding officers to upload results in real time immediately after signing Form EC8A, countersigned by party agents. Instead, the Senate opted to maintain the current law, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

Political analysts and civil society groups condemned the decision as a “regressive step”, warning that leaving result transmission to INEC’s discretion risks manual tampering and voter distrust.

“We thought the National Assembly would learn from 2023, where the IREV portal became a source of national embarrassment,” said political analyst Gerald Ede. “By rejecting mandatory transmission, the Senate has essentially given a green light for ‘manual miracles’ and result manipulation to continue.”

Key Takeaways from the Amendments

While the bill was passed after over five hours of clause-by-clause deliberation, several critical changes and rejections stood out:

• Electronic Transmission: Mandatory real-time uploading rejected; the existing provision allowing INEC discretion remains.
• Voter Identification: PVC retained as the sole identification tool; alternative IDs like NIN or passports were rejected. BVAS replaces smart card readers for accreditation.
• PVC Offences: Proposed 10-year jail term scrapped; 2-year imprisonment retained, but fines increased from ₦2 million to ₦5 million.
• Election Timetable: Notice of election reduced from 360 days to 180 days; candidate submission deadline reduced from 120 to 90 days.
• Vote Buying: Stiffer penalties introduced; fines increased from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million.
• Election Tribunals: Removed power to declare winners outright in certain nullified elections; reruns mandated with disqualified candidates barred.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio defended the decision, stressing that electronic transmission was not abolished, but merely retained under the law.

“The previous provision has already made allowance for electronic transmission. It is still part of our law. We cannot afford to be going backwards,” Akpabio said.

Public Reaction and Next Steps

Civil society organisations and Nigerians on social media expressed disappointment, calling the move a setback for transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC, however, had urged the Senate to expedite passage of the bill to avoid delaying preparations for the polls.

The House of Representatives had passed the bill without major dissent, and the Senate’s concurrence now finalizes the amendment, albeit with some controversial clauses intact.

As Nigerians brace for the next election cycle, concerns remain over electoral integrity, with critics warning that discretionary result transmission could undermine public confidence in the democratic process.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk