NIGERIA: Senate Reopens Electoral Debate, Clears Conditional e-Transmission of Results

By Ameenat Hamzat

Nigeria’s Senate has reversed

an earlier decision that excluded electronic transmission of election results from the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act, approving a revised provision that allows digital transfer of results under defined conditions.

The resolution followed an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, where lawmakers reconsidered the clause governing result transmission from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

Under the new framework, electronic transmission is permitted, but manual documentation will prevail if connectivity or technical challenges prevent digital upload. In such cases, the manually completed Form EC8A becomes the authoritative basis for collation and declaration.

The change was initiated through a motion presented by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North), who argued that revisiting the earlier vote was necessary to reflect public expectations regarding electoral transparency.

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, said: “This amendment is to bring our laws to make it a replica of the wishes and aspirations of the people.”

The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (Benue South), after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the question to a voice vote that received majority support.

The Senate’s latest action effectively acknowledges that the earlier amendment version lacked a clear accommodation for electronic transmission, a provision widely associated with efforts to strengthen election credibility.

While the updated clause introduces a pathway for digital transmission, lawmakers stopped short of making the process compulsory, opting instead for a hybrid system that retains manual safeguards in the event of ne

twork disruptions.