The Senate on Tuesday revised its earlier amendment to the Electoral Act, reintroducing provisions for the electronic transmission of election results after initially rejecting it.
Under the latest adjustment, results may now be transmitted electronically from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal.
However, the provision is not compulsory, and Form EC8A will serve as the primary backup for collation where internet connectivity fails.
The development followed a motion moved by Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno during an emergency plenary session.
Monguno explained that the decision to revisit the earlier position was driven by public concern and the need for the law to reflect citizens’ expectations on transparency in elections.
The Minority Leader, Abba Moro, seconded the motion, after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio subjected it to a voice vote that received majority support from lawmakers.
The amendment effectively rescinds the Senate’s earlier stance, which had excluded electronic transmission as a defined provision in the Electoral Act.
Despite the shift, the new framework stops short of making electronic transmission mandatory, allowing room for manual processes where network failures occur.
The latest action signals a partial concession by the upper chamber amid mounting pressure from civil society groups, opposition figures, and public commentators who had criticised the earlier decision.
The move also acknowledges that the previous version of the amendment did not sufficiently capture provisions for electronic transmission, prompting the need for a legislative correction.
