The Senate has refuted reports suggesting it voted against the electronic transmission of election results during deliberations on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, addressed the issue shortly after the upper legislative chamber passed the bill following a prolonged plenary session that lasted more than four hours. Discussions on the contentious amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, dominated proceedings from the afternoon into the evening and triggered widespread speculation across social media platforms.
Online reports had claimed that senators rejected a proposal that would compel presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit polling unit results electronically to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal immediately after results are signed and stamped. According to those reports, the Senate allegedly retained a provision allowing results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
However, Akpabio dismissed those claims, describing them as misleading. He emphasized that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of results from the law, noting that existing provisions—already applied during the 2022 elections—were simply retained.
Addressing lawmakers, the Senate president stressed that reports suggesting the chamber rejected electronic transmission were false. He reiterated that electronic transmission remains firmly embedded within Nigeria’s electoral framework and that no progress made in previous reforms had been reversed.
“This Senate has not rejected electronic transmission of results,” Akpabio stated, urging both lawmakers and the public to rely on verified legislative records rather than social media narratives. He added that official proceedings and voting records are publicly available for scrutiny.
Akpabio further noted that preserving electronic transmission aligns with the Senate’s broader commitment to strengthening the credibility of elections, cautioning against interpretations that portray the amendment as a setback to electoral integrity.
Electronic transmission of results has continued to generate debate in Nigeria’s electoral reform process, particularly following the 2023 general elections. Civil society organisations and opposition parties have consistently advocated clearer legal provisions to enhance transparency and restore public confidence in the electoral system.
The Senate president explained that his clarification was aimed at easing public anxiety and correcting what he described as a misrepresentation of the chamber’s decision, as legislative work on electoral reforms continues ahead of future polls.
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