Senate adopt electronic, manual transmission of results afta Nigerians do we-no-go-gree

Di Nigeria Senate for di continuation of dia Votes and Proceedings of di Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 don adopt di electronic transmission of election results.

Di lawmakers bin reach dis resolution for di floor of di plenary during one emergency session on Tuesday.

Di lawmakers bin sit sake of di controversies on top di amendments to di Electoral Act, particularly provisions wey relate to di electronic transmission of election results.

Di controversy bin centre on Clause 60(3), wia di Senate reportedly remove di requirement for real-time electronic transmission, and dem retain di 2022 Act provision wey empower di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to determine di mode of transmission.

However, for dia sitting on Tuesday, di Senate President, Godswill Akpabio align wit di motion wey Senator Tahir Mungono sponsor wey call for di electronic transmission of election results by presiding officers for polling units.

Under di proposal, electronic transmission go serve as di primary method of uploading results. However, if technical challenges like network failures occur, di motion give room for di option to allow di manual transmission of results using Form EC8A, wey dey duly signed and stamped by di presiding officer.

Di proposal bin spark concerns among lawmakers, particularly ontop di reliance on Form EC8A as di primary source of election results, wey lead to disagreements.

Di different reactions bin lead to sharp divisions on di floor of di Senate, wey make Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to call for individual vote on di mata to clearly determine di position of each lawmaker, but e later withdraw di motion.

Senate expand conference committee to 12 members to work wit Reps

Afta dem agree to di electronic transmission, di Senate bin appoint a 12-member conference committee to harmonise differences between dia version of di Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and dat of di House of Representatives.

E direct dem to commence sittings immediately, as legislative work on di bill enta di final stage.

"Wen you meet, you suppose recognise say dis na mata of urgency. I believe say if you fit conclude within di next few days or one week, di President go fit sign di amended Electoral Bill into law within di month of February," e tok.

E say dem go communicate di outcome to President Bola Tinubu for assent within February.

Di members of di conference committee include:

Hundreds of protesters bin gada outside Nigeria National Assembly for Abuja on Monday and Tuesday, as dem ask di lawmakers to reverse dia decision to block mandatory electronic transmission of election results.

Di securities bin no allow di protesters wey dey made up of opposition party supporters, civil society groups and youth movements to enta di parliamentary complex.

Di protest, wey dey organised under di banner #OccupyNationalAssembly, bin come afta last week vote in which lawmakers reportedly reject one clause wey for require real-time electronic transmission of results for di kontri Electoral Act.

One of di opposition leaders for di rally, former presidential candidate Peter Obi, tell tori pipo say di decision "undermine transparency" and resurrect long‑standing concerns about electoral manipulation.

"Dis move go weaken confidence in our democracy," Oga Obi tok. "Nigerians want elections wia results go dey transmitted instantly, not manually altered along di way."

Civil society groups bin describe di lawmakers stance as betrayal of public trust, e warn say e fit reopen avenues for fraud during collation of election results.

Belief be say di purpose of di emergency session na to formally adopt di Votes and Proceedings of di 4 February sitting, wen dem pass di Electoral Bill.

Witout di formal adoption of di Votes and Proceedings, di Conference Committee wey dem establish to harmonise di Senate position wit dat of di House of Representatives no go fit go ahead wit dia work.

However, di Senator wey dey represent Bauchi Central for di National Assembly, Abdul Ningi on Monday say di Senate fit make di adoption of di votes and proceedings on di electronic transmission of election results public.

For one programme on Channels Television Politics Today ahead of di Senate emergency plenary session, dem ask am if e dey possible make dem make public di voting process for di Senate, so dat Nigerians go fit know which senator vote for or against di real-time transmission of election results, Oga Ningi say, "I tink e go dey possible. E go depend on di presiding officer becos di law provide say:

"You fit stand up and say, 'I, Ningi, I accept e-transmission in real time.' I sidon. Dem go record am as each senator dey declare im own, and dat na di only way we need to move forward."

"One tin wey dey veri important na say di votes and proceedings neva dey captured. So tomorrow, we gatz look wetin dey di votes and proceedings captured. Na transfer?

Oga Ningi also clear am say di issue no be about one political party or di oda.

"I dey hia and I dey tell you wit all sense of responsibility say dis no be party mata. E no eva be party tin up to di moment we enta di committee of di whole.

Critics dey para as dem say di Senate bin no gree approve di proposed amendment wey for make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory, instead dem bin keep di existing provision for di 2022 Electoral Act.

Di clause wey dem bin leave say "di presiding officer gatz transfer di results, including di total number of accredited voters and di results of di ballot, in a manner as prescribed by di Commission."

Di amendment wey dem bin reject bifor go make presiding officers of di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results to di IREV portal in real time afta di relevant result forms don dey duly signed and stamped.

Meanwhile, Yiaga, one civil organization bin draw ear give di Senate say as dem go sit, make dem put public interest above dia personal political calculations, and ensure say di final Electoral Act guarantee real-time electronic transmission and collation of polling unit results

Di executive director Samson Itodo wey tok for one post on X, add say make dem also allow for downloadable or electronically generated voter cards (PVC alternatives) to prevent disenfranchisement.

Plus, retain di current timelines for key pre-election activities, wey dey critical for transparency and certainty.

Wetin be real-time electronic transmission of results

Real time electronic transmission of results mean sending di official polling units results wey dem record on Form EC8A electronically from di polling unit directly to one central results portal (IReV) immediately afta voting end, afta dem count di ballots, and afta electoral officers don publicly announce di results for di polling unit.

Dis transmission go happun for di presence of party agents, observers, plus voters wey dey di polling unit.

E go ensure say di exact result wey dey recorded for di polling unit, dey uploaded and available for public verification, bifor dem physically transport dem for collation.