Electoral Act: Senate Approves Electronic Results, Retains Manual Option

The Senate on Tuesday approved electronic transmission of election results while keeping manual collation as a fallback option after a heated debate during plenary.

The decision followed a division on Clause 60 of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.

The session was marked by tension as lawmakers argued over whether manual backup should remain in the law. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South led a group of senators who opposed the retention of the manual fallback provision.

However, when the matter was put to vote, 55 senators supported keeping the clause, while 15 voted against it.

The bill had earlier been passed but was returned to the Committee of the Whole after fresh concerns emerged over errors in some clauses and issues linked to the 2027 general election timetable announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Lawmakers agreed to rescind their earlier decision in order to correct identified problems and reconsider certain sections.
Debate resumed with renewed focus on Clause 60, which deals with how election results are transmitted and collated.

Abaribe called for a formal vote on the clause, leading to sharp exchanges among senators. Some lawmakers argued that since a motion for rescission had been adopted, all previous decisions on the bill were no longer valid and could be reconsidered.

During the division, senators were asked to indicate their positions. The majority voted to retain the provision that allows manual collation if electronic transmission fails due to network or technical issues. The minority group supported full reliance on electronic transmission without manual backup.

With the approval, polling unit results are to be uploaded electronically to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal. However, where electronic transmission is disrupted, the manually completed Form EC8A will serve as the legal basis for collation and declaration of results.

Before the final vote, the Senate also addressed other concerns raised about the bill. Lawmakers discussed the timing of the 2027 elections, especially in relation to the statutory notice period and possible overlap with Ramadan.

There were also corrections made to several clauses to fix errors in cross-referencing, numbering and internal consistency.

The rescission of the earlier passage meant that the Senate had to reconsider the bill from the beginning. After the clause-by-clause review, the position on electronic transmission remained the same, with both electronic upload and manual documentation forming part of the process.

Following the vote, a few senators who opposed the clause left the chamber. Outside the National Assembly complex, some protesters continued to express concern about the credibility of the 2027 elections.

The renewed approval confirms that while electronic transmission remains part of Nigeria’s electoral process, manual records at polling units will continue to play a role where technology cannot be used.