The Senate on Tuesday bowed to public pressure by approving the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV). As a backup in the event of network failure, the lawmakers also permitted manual collation.

The decision followed a reconsideration of a controversial provision in the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, during an emergency plenary session.

The amendment was introduced through a motion sponsored by Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno North, who told the chamber that further scrutiny of clause 60(3) had revealed the need for adjustments to prevent disputes and operational setbacks during elections.

Monguno proposed that presiding officers at polling units be permitted to transmit results electronically to the IReV portal after Form EC8A has been duly completed, signed, and stamped.

However, the provision does not mandate electronic transmission and excludes real-time uploads of results.

Under the approved amendment, where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges, the manually completed EC8A form will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.

The motion was seconded by Abba Moro, the Senate minority leader, who supported the view that electoral laws must balance transparency objectives with the country’s infrastructural realities.

Following brief deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the amendment to a voice vote, with the “ayes” prevailing.

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