3 Southern Senators reportedly behind removal of e-transmission of election results real-time
Fresh details have surfaced on how the Senate dropped a proposal that would have made real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rejected provision was part of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, which sought to amend key sections of Nigeria’s electoral law and strengthen the credibility of elections.
How the proposal emerged
The controversial amendment focused on Clause 60(3) of the bill. It aimed to compel presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to upload polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, immediately after voting.
The proposal was recommended by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong of Plateau South.
It followed months of consultations with INEC, civil society groups and other election stakeholders.
Senate initially backed real-time transmission
Parliamentary sources disclosed that during early deliberations, senators worked with a draft that clearly retained real-time electronic transmission of results.
The matter reportedly enjoyed strong backing, including approval during a closed session of the Senate.
An ad-hoc committee led by Senator Niyi Adegbonmire of Ondo Central had also endorsed the proposal after over one year of engagement.
Public hearings held across the country reportedly produced a consensus that real-time upload of results should be clearly stated in law to prevent disputes like those witnessed during the 2023 general elections.
Last-minute change during plenary
However, the situation changed during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. As plenary extended late into the evening, the final version passed by the Senate was quietly altered.
According to insiders, three senior senators from the southern region intervened and approached Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urging him to retain the wording of the 2022 Electoral Act.
Akpabio was said to have agreed, leading to the removal of “real-time electronic transmission” and its replacement with the word “transfer”, without reopening debate on the floor.
What the Senate eventually adopted
The rejected amendment would have required polling unit results to be uploaded to IReV immediately after Form EC8A was signed and stamped.
Instead, the adopted clause now states that presiding officers shall “transfer” results in a manner prescribed by INEC, a wording identical to the 2022 Electoral Act.
This decision effectively leaves the timing and method of electronic result handling at the discretion of the electoral body.
Senate convenes emergency sitting
Following public backlash and intense criticism, the Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at noon.
The decision was communicated in an official notice dated February 8 and signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, on the directive of Senate President Akpabio.
Although the notice did not explain the reason, the timing strongly points to the controversy surrounding Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment.
Why the emergency session matters
Parliamentary sources explained that the Senate must formally approve its votes and proceedings to validate decisions taken on the bill.
This step is required to clarify whether “transfer” or “electronic transmission” was officially adopted and to enable the conference committee to harmonise the bill with the House of Representatives version.
Without this approval, the conference committee cannot effectively begin its work.
Members of the conference committee
The harmonisation committee is chaired by Senator Simon Lalong. Other members include Senators Niyi Adegbonmire, Tahir Monguno, Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Aminu Iya Abbas and Tokunbo Abiru.
Other major changes to the bill
Beyond electronic transmission, the Senate also made significant alterations to other sections of the bill.
It removed stricter penalties for vote trading, which had proposed fines of up to ₦5 million and a ten-year election ban.
The Senate also reduced INEC’s election notice period from 360 days to 180 days and cut the deadline for parties to submit candidates’ lists from 180 days to 90 days.
Voting technology and court provisions revised
Lawmakers retained the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, but rejected electronically generated voter identification, keeping the Permanent Voter Card as the only valid polling unit ID.
In addition, Clause 142, which sought to simplify proof of non-compliance in election petitions using documents alone, was removed over fears it could overwhelm the courts.
