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

The Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while also permitting manual collation as a backup in cases where technology fails.

The decision was reached on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers revisited a controversial section of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The amendment was introduced through a motion sponsored by Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno North. Monguno said further review of clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026 showed the need for adjustments to avoid disputes and operational difficulties during elections.

He proposed that presiding officers at polling units should be allowed to transmit results electronically to the IReV portal after Form EC8A has been properly completed, signed, and stamped.

However, the approved provision does not make electronic transmission compulsory and does not include real-time uploading of results.

Under the amendment, where electronic transmission is disrupted due to network or communication challenges, the manually completed EC8A form will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.

The motion was seconded by Abba Moro, the Senate Minority Leader, who said electoral laws must balance transparency with the infrastructural realities across the country.

After brief deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, and it was approved as the “ayes” prevailed.