The Nigerian Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results, marking a major milestone in the ongoing electoral reform process aimed at strengthening transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s democratic system.
Under the approval, results may be electronically transmitted to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV); however, this is subject to strict conditions at the polling unit level.
The Senate resolved that electronic transmission can only occur after manual collation, certification and signing of results by the Presiding Officer, polling agents of political parties, and security personnel present at the polling unit.
The new position followed a motion moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, seeking to rescind the chamber’s earlier rejection of real time electronic transmission of election results. The Senate had last Wednesday retained provisions of the extant Electoral Act, 2023, which effectively limited electronic transmission.
With the adoption of the new proposal, the Senate passed an amended Clause 60(3), permitting the presiding officer at each polling unit to transmit election results electronically after Form EC8A has been duly completed and signed.
Under the approved clause, electronic transmission is allowed where the technology does not fail and is possible to use. However, in situations where electronic transmission fails or becomes impossible, the signed Form EC8A will serve as the primary source of election results.
The passage of the clause generated debate on the Senate floor, with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe initially calling for a division on the matter before withdrawing the request moments later.
The measure is designed to prevent manipulation, enhance accountability, and preserve the integrity of results before they are uploaded electronically.
The Senate noted that the adoption of e-transmission, alongside manual verification, aligns Nigeria’s electoral process with global best practices while maintaining transparency at the grassroots level.
The decision has been welcomed by stakeholders and civil society groups as a balanced approach that strengthens public confidence in elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to issue detailed guidelines on implementation ahead of future polls.
