The House of Representatives has put together members who will join select Senators to harmonise Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as the Upper Legislative Chamber on Wednesday passed the bill after hours of intense deliberations, dismissing widespread claims that lawmakers rejected the electronic transmission of election results.
But many see the the Senate dismissal of reports that it passed electronic transmission of results as a clever-by-half explanation.
Central to the controversy was Clause 60, Subsection 3, which regulates the transmission of results from polling units. The Senate declined to adopt a committee recommendation that would have explicitly compelled presiding officers to upload results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time immediately after counting and certification. Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision that mandates electronic transmission in a manner prescribed by INEC after results are counted, recorded, and publicly announced at polling units.
Under the retained framework, presiding officers are required to count votes openly, record results on prescribed forms, announce them publicly, and transmit them electronically to the appropriate collation centres. Copies of the results must also be made available to polling agents and security personnel where present. Violations attract penalties of up to ₦500,000 or a minimum of six months’ imprisonment.
Lawmakers who opposed a rigid real-time upload requirement cited concerns over uneven network coverage and logistical challenges, warning that technical failures could fuel disputes and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Senate spokesperson and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, described the dispute as largely semantic.
“Electronic transmission has not been removed,” Adaramodu told journalists. “Results will still be transmitted electronically and supported by physical documentation, ensuring verifiable records where disputes arise.”
The retention of the old clause has been criticised by many, who claim it is the reason for the integrity issues the 2023 national elections suffered.
The passage of the bill followed a marathon plenary session marked by sharp debates, particularly over provisions governing the transmission of polling unit results. Soon after the vote, reports circulated on social media alleging that the Senate had voted against mandatory electronic transmission of results in real time. Senate leaders, however, moved swiftly to refute the claim.
Presiding over the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the reports as misleading, stressing that electronic transmission of results remains part of Nigeria’s electoral law.
“Distinguished colleagues, the social media is already awash with reports that the Senate has literally rejected electronic transmission of results. That is not true,” Akpabio said. “What we did was to retain the electronic transmission which has been in the Act and was used in 2023.”
He added that the Senate merely preserved the existing legal framework introduced in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows electronic transmission of results in accordance with guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Beyond the transmission debate, the Senate approved wide-ranging amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework. The notice period for elections was reduced from 360 days to 180 days, while the deadline for submission of candidates’ lists to INEC was shortened from 280 days to 90 days.
Penalties for electoral offences were also significantly increased. The fine for vote buying and unlawful possession of voters’ cards was raised from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million, with an option of up to two years’ imprisonment. However, senators rejected a proposal to impose a 10-year ban on offenders, opting instead for stiffer financial sanctions.
The bill also formally removed the smart card reader from the electoral process, designating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as the sole voter accreditation technology. In addition, lawmakers amended provisions to prevent political parties from replacing candidates disqualified after elections, mandating fresh polls where applicable, and removed the power to declare a runner-up winner if a candidate initially declared victorious is later found to be unqualified.
Akpabio said the Senate’s decisions were intended to strengthen, not weaken, electoral credibility.
“We cannot afford to go backwards,” he said. “This Senate, under my watch, has not rejected electronic transmission of results.”
Following the bill’s passage at third reading, the Senate constituted a Conference Committee to harmonise its version with that of the House of Representatives. The committee is chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (Plateau South), with Senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpeyong, Aminu Abbas and Tokunbo Abiru as members.
The Senate subsequently adjourned plenary until February 24, 2026, to allow its committees to focus on budget defence sessions by ministries, departments and agencies.
As the National Assembly continues work on electoral reforms ahead of future elections, attention now shifts to the harmonisation process and the final shape of the law to be transmitted to the President for assent, amid sustained public scrutiny of provisions governing transparency and result transmission.
Meanwhile, The House of Representatives has constituted a bipartisan Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, in accordance with legislative procedure for harmonising areas of difference between the versions of the Bill passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly.
A statement by House spokesman, Akin Rotimi Jr disclosed that the development is contained in an internal correspondence dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, from the Clerk to the House of Representatives, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, Esq., conveying the directive of the Leadership of the House.
According to the correspondence, the Conference Committee is composed as follows:
1. Rep. Adebayo Balogun – Chairman
2. Rep. Fred Agbedi
3. Rep. Sada Soli
4. Rep. Ahmadu Jaha
5. Rep. Iduma Igariwey Enwo
6. Rep. Saidu Musa Abdullahi
7. Rep. Dr. Zainab Gimba
The Committee is mandated to confer with its counterpart from the Senate with a view to harmonising the differing provisions of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill as passed by both Chambers, ahead of final passage by the National Assembly.
The House of Representatives reiterates its commitment to advancing electoral reforms that strengthen transparency, credibility, and public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
