Election Bill Revised: Senate Now Permits E-Transmission, But With Key Conditions.
In a move that changes a key part of Nigeria’s election process, the Senate has revised its position on the controversial Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
On Tuesday, the upper house of the National Assembly voted to reverse its earlier rejection of electronic transmission of election results. The new decision allows for results to be sent electronically from polling units, but sets specific conditions for how it will work.
The change came after an emergency plenary session where lawmakers considered a motion from the Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno (Borno North).
The approved provision now states that electronic transmission of results is permitted. However, it stops short of making the process mandatory. Crucially, the bill includes a fallback plan: in areas where mobile network or internet service fails, the original, manually filled result sheet—Form EC8A—will be used as the main document to tally and announce results.
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This means that while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can use its electronic Result Viewing Portal (IREV), the law now formally recognizes that poor connectivity could interrupt the process. In such cases, the paper trail takes precedence.
Presenting the motion, Senator Monguno said the decision to change the Senate’s earlier stance was driven by public opinion. “This amendment is to bring our laws to make it a replica of the wishes and aspirations of the people,” he told the chamber.
The motion was supported by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (Benue South). Senate President Godswill Akpabio then put it to a voice vote, with a clear majority of lawmakers heard in favor of the change.
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This vote effectively corrects a notable omission. Just last week, during a detailed review of the bill, the Senate had passed its version without any clause providing for electronic transmission. Senator Monguno had at that time urged his colleagues to keep a related provision from the existing 2022 Electoral Act, but the plea was not heeded.
Tuesday’s revision, therefore, marks a direct response to that earlier decision and aligns the bill more closely with the demands of many Nigerians and civil society groups who have long called for digital steps to improve election transparency.
The amendment now moves the country’s electoral law a step closer to modernizing how results are managed, though the non-mandatory nature and the paper-based backup will likely shape how INEC implements the system in future elections.
The revised bill will now move to the next stages of the legislative process.
Election Bill Revised: Senate Now Permits E-Transmission, But With Key Conditions.
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