In a cautious step towards electoral reform, the Senate on Tuesday approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while retaining manual collation as a fallback where technology fails.
The resolution followed a fresh reconsideration of a contentious clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during plenary, reflecting lawmakers’ attempt to balance transparency with Nigeria’s uneven technological infrastructure.
Under the new provision adopted by the upper chamber, election results may be transmitted electronically to IReV. However, where electronic transmission is hampered by communication or network challenges, the manually completed result sheet, Form EC8A, will serve as the primary source for collation.
Despite approving electronic transmission, the Senate declined to make the process mandatory and also rejected proposals for real-time upload of election results, a move that has continued to generate debate among stakeholders.
Lawmakers argued that while technology can enhance credibility and public confidence in elections, making electronic transmission compulsory could risk disenfranchising voters in areas with poor or non-existent network coverage.
The latest decision marks a middle ground in the ongoing legislative effort to amend the Electoral Act, signalling the Senate’s support for digital innovation in elections, but with safeguards designed to ensure that technical failures do not invalidate the electoral process.
The amended bill is expected to undergo further legislative procedures, including harmonisation with the House of Representatives’ version, before it can be passed into law.
