Senate Insists On Electronic, Manual Transmission Of Election Results

According to Ireporter Online, the Senate has amended its Votes and Proceedings from the plenary session held on Wednesday, February 4, to clarify its stance on Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, following widespread controversy over the transmission of election results.

The clarification followed a motion presented by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, which was subsequently adopted by the Red Chamber. In the revised resolution, the Senate reaffirmed its commitment to the electronic transmission of election results directly from polling units.

However, lawmakers introduced provisions to address situations where electronic transmission may be disrupted by technical or communication failures. Under the clarified position, where electronic transmission is unsuccessful due to such challenges, the physical copy of Form EC8 containing the polling unit results will serve as the primary document for collation.

The form is required to be properly completed, stamped, and signed by the presiding officer, as well as counter-signed by party agents present at the polling unit to ensure authenticity and transparency.

The development establishes electronic transmission as the preferred method while retaining manual documentation as a fallback mechanism in cases of technological disruption.

Following the adoption of the motion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe introduced a counter-motion seeking a division on Section 60(3), a process that would have required senators to vote individually to formally record their positions. However, after the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, asked him to proceed with the request in line with Senate rules, Abaribe withdrew the motion.

The Senate’s clarification comes amid heightened public scrutiny and nationwide debate triggered by earlier deliberations, which many Nigerians interpreted as an attempt to weaken real-time electronic transmission of election results.

With the amendment to its Votes and Proceedings, the Senate has maintained that electronic transmission remains part of the law, subject to practical and technical contingencies.