The Senate on Tuesday approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while allowing manual collation as a fallback in cases where technology fails.
The decision followed a reconsideration of a contentious clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during an emergency plenary session.
Although lawmakers endorsed electronic transmission, the Senate declined to make it mandatory and also rejected a proposal for real-time upload of results.
Under the amended provision, presiding officers at polling units are required to electronically transmit results to the IReV portal after voting and all necessary documentation have been completed.
However, the amendment provides that where electronic transmission is impossible due to network or communication challenges, the manually completed result sheet, Form EC8A, shall serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
While putting the amendment to a voice vote, Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged senators who opposed the provision to formally move a counter-motion.
“If you disagree with him, move your counter motion. If you agree with him, you agree with me when I put the votes,” Akpabio said.
He explained that the motion before the chamber sought to reverse an earlier decision of the Senate on Section 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act.
Reading the amended clause, Akpabio stated that presiding officers must electronically transmit polling unit results to the IReV portal after Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates or their polling agents, where available.
He added that the law now anticipates situations where electronic transmission may not be feasible.
“Where electronic transmission fails due to communication or network challenges, and it becomes impossible to transmit the results electronically, the manually completed Form EC8A shall become the primary source for collation and declaration of results,” the Senate President said.
The amendment has generated concerns among opposition figures and civil society organisations, who argue that permitting manual results to override electronically transmitted ones could undermine transparency and open the door to manipulation, particularly in areas with poor network coverage.
