The Senate was sharply divided on Thursday as 13 frontline opposition senators rejected reports that the upper chamber had jettisoned mandatory electronic transmission of election results during the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The development followed widespread outrage trailing the reported decision of the Senate on Wednesday, which many Nigerians interpreted as a rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
But the lawmakers, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, insisted that the Senate had not concluded deliberations on the matter and that the provision remained intact.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Abaribe, alongside Senators Victor Umeh, Abdul Ningi and 10 others, said they stood firmly in support of the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which seeks to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
They vowed to monitor the provision through the legislative process until it is transmitted for presidential assent.
According to the lawmakers, more than two-thirds of the Senate supported real-time electronic transmission of election results, stressing that the issue had not been finally settled.
Abaribe clarified that, contrary to media reports, the Senate did not reject the electronic transmission of results.
“To put the record straight, yesterday (Wednesday), the Senate did not, I repeat, not pass transfer of results which was in the 2022 Act. What we passed, and which the Senate President himself said, when he was doing a clarification, sitting on his chair, is electronic transmission of results,” Vanguard quoted him saying.
Abaribe added that the lawmakers organised the briefing to correct misconceptions and reassure Nigerians of their commitment to electoral transparency.
“I can assure you on my own, and on all of us who are standing here, that both the Electoral Committee of the Senate and the Ad Hoc Committee of the Senate, and also in the Executive Session that we all agreed on Section 60 (3) which is electronic transmission of votes, or electronic transmission of results,” he said.
The senators noted that the Senate had yet to reconvene to approve the votes and proceedings of the plenary session, stressing that the legislative process had not been concluded.
They also expressed concern over the backlash that followed Wednesday’s proceedings, particularly regarding Section 60(3) of the bill, which mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit polling unit results electronically in real time.
The provision states: “The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to IREV portal in real time and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling agents available at the polling unit.”
Akpabio’s Announcement Sparked Controversy
During clause-by-clause consideration of the bill on Wednesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had announced that Clause 60 was adopted “as amended,” and not as originally recommended by the committee, a development that triggered widespread reports suggesting that the real-time transmission clause had been rejected.
However, the opposition senators maintained that the interpretation was inaccurate and that deliberations were still ongoing.
‘Joint Committees Agreed On e-Transmission’
Abaribe further explained that a joint committee of the electoral committees from both chambers had worked extensively on the amendment bill and reached a consensus on electronic transmission.
“The joint committees had several retreats; everyone agreed at the end of the retreat that electronic transmission of results was the way to go. And that was reflected in the reports, both in the House and in Senate reports,” he said.
“And it was the report of the Senate ad hoc committee that we considered when we went into a closed session, so that we can tidy up the report. And when we now come back to plenary to pass it, we will pass it without any rancour.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the controversy drew reactions from political leaders and civil society groups.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, opposition parties and civil society organisations criticised the reported rejection of mandatory electronic transmission, warning that it could undermine electoral credibility.
The senators, however, reassured Nigerians that they would ensure the provision is protected until the final version of the bill is transmitted to the President for assent.
Opposition Blasts Senate
Major opposition parties have jointly criticised the Senate’s rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, warning that the move could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The parties also cautioned that the decision may weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a joint statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ini Ememobong; his counterparts in the African Democratic Congress, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi; and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Bamofin Johnson, the opposition said the development raised serious national concern and compelled them to address Nigerians collectively.
‘Retrogressive Act Capable Of Derailing Democracy’
“The grave implications of this retrogressive act by the Senate has compelled us as spokespersons of the major opposition political parties to jointly address this issue, which is capable of derailing our hard-earned democracy.
“We are at a loss as to why a party that is currently deploying technology to run an e-registration of their members across the country is averse to using technology to transmit results,” the parties said.
They alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, which controls both chambers of the National Assembly, was seeking to preserve weaknesses in the electoral system that could be exploited during elections.
“They know Nigerians are fed up with them. They are aware of the rejection that awaits them at the forthcoming polls. A free and fair election has, therefore, become a threat to them. This is why they have to preserve and protect any loopholes that could aid the manipulation of the electoral process to their advantage.
“However, regardless of their party affiliation, we would have expected the Senators to rise above party sentiments and act in the best interest of democracy, for which the legislature remains its most important symbol. But as usual, they failed the people they are supposed to represent,” they added.
Referencing past judicial rulings, the parties noted that courts had previously held that electronic transmission of results was not expressly mandated under the Electoral Act 2022.
They described the ongoing amendment process as an opportunity to correct the gap and strengthen transparency in future elections.
“With this rejection, the Senate has returned Nigeria to square one. The ball is now in the court of the conference committee, and we strongly urge its members to align themselves with the Nigerian people by adopting the position of the House of Representatives on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results,” they stated.
The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also condemned the development, describing it as an attempt to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
Obi said the loss of over 150 lives in Kwara on Wednesday delayed his reaction to what he termed “the outrageous and shameful news surrounding our electoral system.”
“The Senate’s blatant rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results is an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” the former Governor of Anambra State said.
“This failure to pass a clear safeguard is nothing short of a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy. By rejecting these essential transparency measures, they are eroding the very foundation of credible elections. One must ask: Does the government exist to ensure order and justice, or to institutionalise chaos? Is its purpose to serve the people, or to fulfil the sinister ambitions of a select few?”
Obi added that controversies and disputes that trailed previous elections, particularly the 2023 general election, were linked to the failure to fully implement electronic transmission of results.
“The turmoil, disputes, and manipulations that plagued past elections, especially the 2023 general election, stemmed directly from the refusal to fully implement electronic transmission. Nigerians were fed excuses of a fabricated ‘glitch’ that never existed. While numerous African nations adopt electronic transmission to bolster democracy, Nigeria, the supposed giant of Africa, shamelessly lags behind, dragging the continent backwards.
“We are wasting time hosting conferences and drafting papers on Nigeria’s problems while we, the leaders and elite, are the real issue. Our deliberate resistance to reform is pulling the country backwards, dragging us toward a primitive state of governance.
“By rejecting mandatory electronic transmission, a critical safeguard for electoral integrity, we are entrenching disorder aimed at perpetuating confusion according to the whims of a small clique. Have we not reached a point where we must think seriously about the future of our country and our children?”