NEWS
Senate Debunks Viral Claims on Electronic Transmission of Election Results, Insists Provision Retained in Amended Electoral Act After Marathon Four-and-Half-Hour Legislative Session
The Senate has firmly dismissed widespread reports suggesting that it rejected the electronic transmission of election results during its consideration and passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, describing such claims as false, misleading, and a distortion of legislative proceedings.
The clarification was issued by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, shortly after the upper chamber passed the bill following an intense marathon session that lasted about four and a half hours.
Consideration of the controversial amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill commenced at about 2:00pm and stretched until 6:26pm. The prolonged debate, coupled with differing interpretations of the amendment, sparked heavy speculation and heated discussions across social media platforms, with claims emerging that lawmakers had voted against mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
Several online reports alleged that the Senate rejected a proposal that would have compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically from each polling unit directly to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal in real time, after signing and stamping the prescribed result forms.
It was further reported that the Senate had instead chosen to retain the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
However, addressing his colleagues on the floor of the Senate, Akpabio categorically rejected the narrative, insisting that electronic transmission of results remains firmly embedded in the law and was never removed by the Senate.
He said, “Distinguished colleagues, the social media is already awash with reports that the Senate has literally rejected electronic transmission of results. That is not true. What we did was to retain the electronic transmission which has been in the act and was used in 2022.
“So please, do not allow people to confuse you. If you are in doubt, we will make our final votes and proceedings available to you if you apply.
“This Senate under my watch has not rejected the electronic transmission of results. It is in my interest as a participant in the next election for such to be done. So please don’t go with the crowd.
“We have retained what was in the previous provision by way of amendment. That was all we did. The previous previous has made allowance for electronic transmission. So it is still there as part of our law. We cannot afford to be going backwards.”
The Senate President’s remarks were aimed at setting the record straight and reassuring Nigerians that the legislature has not reversed gains made in the area of election technology.
The question of electronic transmission of results has remained one of the most sensitive and heavily debated aspects of Nigeria’s electoral reform process since the 2023 general elections.
Civil society organisations, election observers, and opposition political parties have consistently advocated for clearer, more explicit legal provisions to guarantee compulsory electronic transmission of results as a means of enhancing transparency, credibility, and public trust in elections.
Akpabio’s intervention is widely seen as an attempt to calm public anxiety and counter what he described as deliberate or careless misrepresentation of the Senate’s action, as the National Assembly continues work on refining the electoral framework ahead of future elections.
With the Senate insisting that electronic transmission remains intact in the law, attention is now likely to shift to how the final harmonised version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill will address lingering concerns over clarity, enforcement, and the operational powers of INEC in deploying technology for election result management.