The Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while retaining manual collation as a fallback where technology fails.
The decision followed a reconsideration of a controversial provision in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during Tuesday’s plenary, as lawmakers moved to align the legislation with public expectations and operational realities.
The amendment was introduced through a motion sponsored by Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno North, who told the chamber that further scrutiny of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026 revealed the need for adjustments to prevent disputes and logistical setbacks during elections.
Monguno proposed that presiding officers at polling units be allowed to transmit results electronically to the IReV portal after Form EC8A has been duly completed, signed, and stamped. However, the provision does not make electronic transmission mandatory and excludes real-time uploading of results.
Under the approved amendment, where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges, the manually completed Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for the collation and declaration of results.
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, who noted that electoral laws must balance transparency goals with the infrastructural realities across the country.
Following brief deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the amendment to a voice vote, with the majority of lawmakers supporting the measure.