The Nigerian Senate has rejected proposed amendments that would made electronic transmission of election results compulsory, opting instead to retain the existing provisions from the 2022 Electoral Act.
During plenary session on Wednesday, senators considered the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022, and Enact the Electoral Act, 2025.
A key proposed clause (new Clause 60(5)) that would have required presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time to INEC’s IReV portal after completing Form EC8A was rejected.
The Senate retained the 2022 framework, which mandates manual completion, signing, stamping, and distribution of results to party agents and security personnel, with results announced at polling units and transferred “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission” – without mandating electronic transmission.
Senators also rejected Clause 47, which sought to allow electronically-generated voter identification (such as downloadable voter cards with QR codes) for accreditation.
The requirement to present a physical Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) remains in place, while the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or other INEC-prescribed devices for verification was upheld.
More Stories
Makoko: Amnesty International demands probe of Lagos Police over alleged assault on peaceful protesters
FUTA hosts beekeeping seminar as experts warn against fake honey
Police Cooperative Executive Secretary decorates 12 newly promoted officers in Lagos