The Senate has approved the use of electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while also allowing manual collation to serve as an alternative in cases where technology fails.
The resolution was reached on Tuesday during an emergency plenary session, following a fresh review of a controversial provision in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Despite the approval, the Senate declined to make electronic transmission mandatory and also rejected proposals that would require results to be uploaded in real time.
Under the revised provision, results recorded at polling units are to be electronically transmitted to the IReV portal after voting concludes and the necessary documentation is completed. However, where electronic upload is impossible due to network or communication challenges, the manually completed result sheet — Form EC8A — will be used as the primary basis for collation and declaration.
While putting the motion to a voice vote, Senate President Godswill Akpabio advised any senator opposed to the amendment to formally present a counter-motion.
According to him, the motion before the chamber sought to overturn an earlier Senate decision relating to Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act. He explained that the revised clause now directs presiding officers to transmit results electronically after Form EC8A has been duly signed, stamped, and countersigned by polling agents where available.
Akpabio further clarified that the amendment anticipates situations where electronic transmission may not be feasible.
He stated that in cases of network failure or other technical limitations that prevent electronic upload, the signed Form EC8A would serve as the authoritative document for result collation and declaration.
The decision has, however, drawn criticism from civil society groups and opposition voices, who warn that allowing manually collated results to supersede electronically transmitted ones could undermine transparency and open the door to manipulation, particularly in areas with poor network coverage.