Senate Rejects Bill Mandating Instant Electronic Transmission of Election Results

Nigeria’s Senate has considered changes to the Electoral Act 2026 but rejected a proposal that would have legally required presiding officers to transmit election results electronically in real time from polling units.

During discussions, senators debated amendments to Clause 60 of the Electoral Act, which addresses how results are reported after voting. The proposed change would have made it mandatory for officials to upload results immediately to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal once they were certified.

Lawmakers voted against imposing this strict requirement, leaving the existing law intact. Currently, presiding officers are required to send results in a manner prescribed by INEC, giving the electoral body flexibility to manage the process.

The decision has drawn criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups, who say mandatory electronic uploads would enhance transparency and reduce the risk of result manipulation. Some political leaders described the Senate’s move as a step backward in efforts to ensure cleaner elections.

Senate leadership defended the decision, noting that while electronic transmission remains part of the law, enforcing a rigid technical requirement could be problematic in areas with poor network coverage.