The Senate on Tuesday approved a provision allowing election results to be transmitted electronically to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal, while maintaining manual collation as a fallback where technology fails.
The move followed a review of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, amid concerns about potential disputes and operational challenges during elections.
Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), who sponsored the motion, explained that presiding officers at polling units should be allowed to transmit results electronically after completing, signing, and stamping Form EC8A.
The amendment, however, stops short of mandating real-time uploads, providing that in the event of network or communication failures, the manually completed EC8A form will serve as the official basis for collation and declaration of results.
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, seconded the motion, emphasising that electoral laws must balance transparency with Nigeria’s infrastructural realities.
Following brief deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the amendment to a voice vote, which was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers.
This decision is seen as a compromise between ensuring credible elections through technology while safeguarding against disruptions that could compromise results.
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