The Nigerian Senate has rejected a bill seeking to make the electronic transmission of election results compulsory, dealing a setback to ongoing calls for major electoral reforms.
On Wednesday, lawmakers voted against a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The amendment aimed to remove the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) discretion over how election results are transmitted.
If passed, the proposal would have required presiding officers to transmit results electronically from each polling unit to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, immediately after results were recorded on Form EC8A and endorsed by party agents.
Instead, the Senate chose to retain the existing provision of the law, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” This effectively leaves the decision on whether to use electronic transmission entirely in INEC’s hands.
Critics say this provision creates room for abuse and was one of the major weaknesses exposed during the 2023 general elections. By rejecting the amendment, lawmakers have allowed the status quo to remain, a move many believe could continue to undermine public trust in the electoral process.
The decision has sparked widespread disappointment among civil society organisations and election observers who had strongly supported mandatory electronic transmission as a way to reduce human interference and manipulation of results at collation centres.
Political analysts described the Senate’s action as a step backward for Nigeria’s democracy. One analyst, Gerald Ede, said expectations were high that lawmakers would address the controversies surrounding the 2023 elections, particularly issues linked to the IREV portal.
“Many Nigerians believed the National Assembly would correct the mistakes of 2023, when the result portal became a national embarrassment,” he said. “By rejecting mandatory transmission, the Senate has opened the door for the same old practices to continue.”
Supporters of the amendment had argued that real-time electronic transmission was crucial to restoring voter confidence and reducing disputes after elections. They also warned that leaving the process to INEC’s discretion, especially given past claims of technical failures during critical moments, could lead to continued questions about the credibility of election outcomes.
The rejection of the bill comes at a time when pressure is mounting on lawmakers to introduce reforms that would strengthen transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral system.