The Senate has officially amended the Electoral Act to allow E-transmission of election results.
Also, the Senate said in a bid to ensure total system resilience, lawmakers opted to retain a manual backup system, creating a “dual-track” verification process for future elections.
The debate leading up to this decision was intense. While the Senate initially faced backlash over the rejection of “real-time” mandatory uploads, the final version of the bill clarifies that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is empowered to use electronic means to transfer data.
By including the e-transmission of election results alongside a physical paper trail, the Senate said it aims to mitigate risks associated with poor network infrastructure in rural areas while still moving toward a tech-driven future.
With the new amendment, the Senate approved electronic transmission (without the real-time phrase) as part of the electoral process but stipulated that where internet connectivity fails, the Form EC8A will remain the primary instrument for result collation.
Under the proposal, electronic transmission would serve as the primary method of uploading results.
However, in the event of technical challenges such as network failures, the motion provides for a fallback option allowing the manual transmission of results using Form EC8A, duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer.
The proposal, however, sparked concerns among lawmakers, particularly over the reliance on Form EC8A as the primary source of election results, where disputes arise.
The differing views led to sharp divisions on the floor of the Senate, prompting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to call for an individual vote on the matter to clearly determine the position of each lawmaker.
However, rather surprisingly, Senator Abaribe withdrew his call for individual votes moments later.
The votes and proceedings were then approved and adopted by the upper chamber.
During plenary, the Senate also constituted a 12-member conference committee to harmonise differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and that of the House of Representatives.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.
“After consultation with the leadership, we have moved the number from nine to 12. I will now read out the names of the conference committee members from the Senate,” Akpabio said on the floor of the Senate.
The members are:
1. Senator Simon Bako Lalong – Chairman
2. Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno – Member
3. Senator Adamu Aliero – Member
4. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu – Member
5. Senator Abba Moro – Member
6. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong – Member
7. Senator Aminu Iya Abbas – Member
8. Senator Tokunbo Abiru – Member
9. Senator Niyi Adegbonmire (SAN) – Member
10. Senator Jibrin Isah – Member
11. Senator Ipalibo Banigo – Member
12. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi – Member
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the development follows public outrage over recent changes to the Electoral Act, with particular attention on provisions governing the electronic transmission of election results.
At the heart of the dispute is Clause 60(3), which the Senate amended last week by removing the requirement for real-time electronic transmission. Instead, lawmakers retained the 2022 Electoral Act provision granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the discretion to determine how election results are transmitted.
The decision sparked nationwide protests, including the Occupy National Assembly demonstration in Abuja. Civil society groups, opposition parties, and high-profile political figures such as Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi joined the calls for mandatory real-time electronic transmission, arguing that it is essential to improving the transparency and credibility of elections.
