EXCLUSIVE: Senate Makes U-turn Over Electronic Transmission of Result

Amid widespread controversy and conflicting media reports over the fate of electronic transmission of election results, the Nigerian Senate has approved the electronic transmission of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IREV) portal.

Contrary to reports suggesting that the Senate jettisoned electronic transmission during the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, findings from the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters confirm that the provision was retained and strengthened in the proposed Electoral Bill 2025.

According to the Senate Committee’s report on the bill titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and Enact the Electoral Bill 2025 and for Other Related Matters (SB.903)”, dated February 2026, Clause 60(3) expressly mandates the electronic transmission of election results.

The clause provides that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time,” adding that such transmission shall take place after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates or polling agents where available.

Further provisions under Clause 60 reinforce transparency at the polling unit level. Clause 60(4) mandates that the presiding officer shall count and announce results at the polling unit, while Clause 60(5) requires the transmission of results, including the total number of accredited voters, to the next level of collation.

A comparison with the Electoral Act 2022 shows that while the earlier law focused on manual completion, signing and distribution of result forms at polling units, the proposed Electoral Bill 2025 expands the process by explicitly mandating real-time electronic transmission of results to INEC’s IREV platform.

Based on these provisions, the Senate did not remove or abandon electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, contrary to claims circulating in some sections of the media.