Senate approves electronic transmission of results, permits manual collation as backup

Senate president, Akpabio

The senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s result viewing portal (IReV), while allowing manual collation to serve 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.

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 had revealed the need for adjustments to prevent disputes and operational setbacks during elections.

Monguno proposed that presiding officers at polling units be permitted to transmit results electronically to the IReV portal after form EC8A has been duly completed, signed and stamped.

However, the provision stops short of mandating electronic transmission and excludes real-time uploads of results.

Under the approved amendment, where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges, the manually completed EC8A form will constitute the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.

The motion was seconded by Abba Moro, senate minority leader, who supported the view that electoral laws must reflect both transparency objectives and the infrastructural realities across the country.

Following brief deliberations, Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, put the amendment to a voice vote, with the “ayes” prevailing. Thecable