In a reversal amid mounting public pressure and street protests, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday rescinded its earlier position on electronic transmission of election results, amending Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill to restore electronic transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
However, while lawmakers reaffirmed electronic transmission from polling units, they stopped short of mandating real-time reporting and retained a critical fallback to manual results – a caveat analysts say tempers the reform’s impact.
In effect, if there is a glitch, orchestrated or normal, as was generally speculated in the last presidential elections, a resort to old, distrusted method will come into play.
The passage happened as lawmakers of the Upper Chamber were mocked in street protests, including one at the entrance of their hallowed chamber.
On social media, and instructive message kept trending. It reads:
JAMB transit result online
Banks do transfer online
WAEC transmit results online
Only INEC can not transmit results online.
Fear who no fear INEC
The Senate’s U-turn followed days of intense public scrutiny over its February 4 decision, which had generated widespread backlash. Civil society groups, political stakeholders, and citizens questioned the chamber’s commitment to transparent elections, culminating in Monday and Tuesday’s “Occupy National Assembly” protests.
Prominent figures, including former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung and former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, joined demonstrators outside the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to guarantee real-time electronic transmission of results.
Former Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) had earlier joined protests.
Inside the chamber, what began as an emergency plenary quickly evolved into a tense and, at times, theatrical session.
Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), who had earlier moved the motion that retained the controversial clause, rose under Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders to seek rescission.
“Upon careful examination of the bill, fresh issues have emerged in respect of Clause 60(3), requiring further legislative consideration for smooth, transparent and credible elections,” Monguno said, acknowledging the controversy the earlier decision had generated.
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP).
After recommitting the clause to the Committee of the Whole and extensive deliberations, the Senate adopted a revised Clause 60(3), which now states that:
Results shall be transmitted electronically from each polling unit to INEC’s IReV portal.
Transmission shall occur after Form EC8A is signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by party agents where available.
Where electronic transmission fails due to communication issues, the signed Form EC8A shall serve as the primary source for collation and declaration of results.
Notably, the Senate removed the words “real-time” from the provision.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that electronic transmission was never entirely rejected but that the explicit reference to “real-time” was excised to avoid legal disputes in areas with poor network connectivity.
The revised clause was ultimately adopted almost unanimously by voice vote.
Before the amendment’s passage, the chamber descended briefly into disorder.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) demanded a division — a recorded vote that would document each senator’s position. His move elicited a procedural dispute with the Senate President over whether a seconder was required for withdrawal.
At one point, voices rang out across the aisle as Akpabio repeatedly struck the gavel to restore order. After interventions from several senators, including Abdul Ningi, Abaribe withdrew his demand, clearing the way for the amendment’s adoption.
The dramatic exchange underscored the political sensitivity of the issue and the high stakes surrounding electoral reform.
While the Senate’s reversal is widely interpreted as a response to public pressure, constitutional experts describe the final outcome as a compromise between technological innovation and infrastructural realities.
“Electronic transmission ensures speed, accuracy and accountability,” Monguno argued during debate. “This balances innovation with operational realities on the ground.”
Yet analysts caution that the fallback provision significantly dilutes the promise of real-time transparency. Although practical in rural or conflict-affected areas with poor connectivity, reliance on Form EC8A — the paper result sheet — leaves room for delays, discrepancies, and potential manipulation during collation.
Many suggest that results can be hijacked, tinkered with, or falsified to affect overall results.
“The amendment is symbolically important,” said a senior Abuja-based analyst. “But the caveat introduces ambiguity that could be exploited, particularly in low-connectivity areas. It is progress, but it is not yet a fully real-time, tamper-proof system.”
In a sign of urgency, the Senate also expanded its conference committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to 12 members, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), to harmonise differences with the House of Representatives.
Senate President Akpabio emphasized the need to reconcile the versions swiftly and transmit the final bill to the President for assent within February, reflecting lawmakers’ awareness of constitutional timelines and public expectations.
Tuesday’s proceedings reflect the tensions within Nigeria’s democratic evolution: the push to modernize elections colliding with infrastructural limitations and political caution.
By restoring electronic transmission, the Senate signaled responsiveness to public demand. But by removing the real-time requirement and elevating paper forms as a legally binding fallback, it left unresolved the central concern driving protests — whether election results will be transmitted instantly and transparently beyond human interference.
For now, electronic transmission is back in the law. Whether it will function as a transformative safeguard or remain a procedural formality will depend on implementation, network reliability, INEC’s preparedness, and vigilant oversight.
Until real-time electronic transmission becomes both mandatory and dependable nationwide, many observers say, it is progress — but not yet uhuru.
