The Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while retaining manual collation as a fallback in cases where technology fails.
The resolution followed a fresh deliberation on a contentious clause of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during Tuesday’s plenary session.
The amendment was introduced through a motion sponsored by Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno North, who explained that a closer review of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026 showed the need for adjustments to minimise disputes and operational challenges during elections.
Under the revised provision, presiding officers at polling units may electronically transmit results to the IReV portal after Form EC8A has been properly completed, signed, and stamped.
However, the amendment does not make electronic transmission mandatory, nor does it require real-time upload of results.
Where electronic transmission is hindered by network or communication issues, the manually completed EC8A form will serve as the primary basis for the collation and declaration of results.
The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, who argued that electoral legislation must strike a balance between transparency and the country’s existing infrastructural limitations.
