By Amofokhai Williams
In a significant policy shift during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate reversed its prior stance and amended the Electoral Act to explicitly allow the electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The upper chamber, responding to widespread public backlash and ongoing protests, rescinded its earlier rejection of compulsory real-time transmission.
Instead, it approved electronic transmission as the primary method for uploading results, but without mandating it in real time or making it strictly compulsory in all circumstances.
Key safeguards were introduced to handle practical realities: in cases of network failures or other technical disruptions, the traditional manual collation process using Form EC8A, signed and stamped by the presiding officer, will serve as the fallback and primary instrument for result verification and collation.
This conditional approach aims to balance technological advancement with the challenges of inconsistent internet access across Nigeria, ensuring that no valid votes are disenfranchised due to infrastructure limitations.
Electronic upload remains the preferred and default procedure where connectivity permits.
The amendment sparked heated debate on the Senate floor, with lawmakers expressing concerns about potential disputes if Form EC8A reverts to being the main reference point in contested scenarios.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) initially pushed for a division of the house, requiring individual recorded votes—to clarify each senator’s position on the clause.
However, in a surprising turn, he quickly withdrew the request, allowing the chamber to proceed with a collective decision.
The changes come as the Senate prepares to reconcile its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill with the House of Representatives through the recently formed 12-member joint committee.
