The Nigerian Senate has moved to clarify its position on electronic transmission of election results, dismissing claims that lawmakers voted to remove the provision from Nigeria’s electoral framework.
Following the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill after a prolonged plenary session, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said reports circulating online misrepresented the chamber’s decision on the contentious clause relating to results transmission.
According to Akpabio, the Senate did not outlaw electronic transmission but chose to maintain the existing legal framework, which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine how election results are transmitted.
He explained that the law already permits electronic transmission and that the Senate merely declined to make real-time digital uploads compulsory in all circumstances, citing the need for operational flexibility.
Akpabio noted that electronic transmission was used under the current Electoral Act during previous elections and remains part of the law. He stressed that the Senate’s decision was not a reversal of electoral reforms but a continuation of existing provisions.
The clarification followed intense debate over a proposed amendment that sought to mandate presiding officers to upload polling unit results directly to INEC’s Result Viewing portal immediately after collation.
The Senate President said official records of proceedings would be made available to counter what he described as misinformation, urging the public to rely on verified legislative outcomes rather than social media speculation.
