The Senate has dismissed claims that the real-time transmission of election results equates to electronic voting, emphasizing that Nigeria has not adopted an e-voting system and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) currently lacks the capacity to conduct one.
Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Panel to Review the 2026 Electoral Bill, explained on Thursday during an appearance on Arise News Channel that the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) is not a voting platform. “IReV is a tool for publishing results that have already been manually counted and declared at polling units”, he said, adding that confusion arises from a misunderstanding of real-time transmission versus e-voting.
The seven-member panel was set up to review the Electoral Bill, harmonize divergent positions, and address grey areas in the proposed legislation.
Adegbonmire clarified that before results appear on IReV, presiding officers must manually complete Form EC8A, which is then signed and countersigned by polling agents or candidates. “Whether we call it upload, transfer, or transmission, IReV will display results only after the figures are properly filled out at the polling units”, he said.
He also warned against the notion that IReV allows voters to see how they voted. “Vote counting is manual. Neither IReV nor BVAS count ballots. The portal simply publishes results that have already been verified”, he explained.
Using his home state of Ondo as an example, the senator highlighted logistical challenges in conducting elections across Nigeria, including late voting starts in remote and riverine areas. “In Akure, voting may start at 10 a.m., while in some riverine areas it may not start until 4 p.m. This affects when results can be uploaded to IReV”, he said, noting that misunderstanding these realities can fuel public distrust.
Adegbonmire further stressed that the National Assembly cannot alter the technical configuration of IReV through legislation alone. “IReV has a set pattern of operation. The Senate has not rejected its use; it simply clarified what it is and how it functions”, he said.
He urged the media and the public to avoid misrepresenting the system, warning that misinformation could spark unnecessary controversies over election outcomes.
