Fresh controversy has emerged over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 as the Senate and the House of Representatives differ on the inclusion of “real-time” electronic transmission of election results.
While the Senate approved electronic transmission to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), it excluded the explicit “real-time” provision contained in the House version, setting the stage for harmonisation by a conference committee.
The Senate’s amended Section 60(3) mandates presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results to IREV after completing and signing Form EC8A. However, it provides a fallback clause: where electronic transmission fails due to communication challenges, the signed Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
In contrast, the House of Representatives had earlier passed a version requiring INEC to transmit results to IREV “in real time,” simultaneously with physical collation. The divergence means a 12-member conference committee from the Senate, chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong, will meet with House conferees to produce a harmonised bill for final approval and presidential assent.
The Senate’s decision followed a dramatic plenary session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno moved a motion to rescind the earlier clause, citing ambiguities and public concern over the wording. After heated exchanges, voice votes and a failed attempt to force a division, the revised clause was adopted.
Outside the National Assembly, protesters gathered for the second consecutive day, demanding real-time electronic transmission of results. Among them was former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi. Security operatives prevented demonstrators from entering the complex.
Political reactions were swift. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar argued that only real-time electronic transmission could prevent confusion and restore public confidence, urging opposition parties to resist any provision allowing manual collation. The African Democratic Party warned that anything short of mandatory real-time transmission could fuel public distrust.
However, the African Democratic Congress described the Senate’s partial reversal as a victory for civic engagement, crediting public pressure for the shift. Legal luminary Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) also stressed that explicit statutory backing for electronic transmission is crucial, noting that the Supreme Court previously ruled IREV lacked legal force during the 2023 election disputes.
The PDP, through a faction led by Tanimu Turaki, rejected the Senate’s position, describing the fallback to manual transmission as a “backdoor attempt” to weaken electoral safeguards. With both chambers standing firm on their positions, attention now turns to the conference committee, whose outcome could shape the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
