2027: Outrage as Atiku, PDP, LP, others fault Senate stance on e-transmission; INEC warns delays may affect polls

A storm of political outrage has followed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 after lawmakers rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.

What began as a long-anticipated step toward strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections quickly spiralled into accusations of democratic backsliding, as opposition parties, civic actors and prominent political figures accused the upper chamber of weakening safeguards meant to protect the integrity of the vote.

At the heart of the controversy is Clause 60(3) of the proposed amendment. Lawmakers declined to adopt a revision that would have compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload results electronically from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time after completing and signing Form EC8A alongside party agents.

Instead, the Senate retained the wording in the 2022 Electoral Act which states that the presiding officer shall transfer results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

To critics, that phrasing gives INEC discretion rather than imposing a legal obligation, leaving room for the very gaps that fuelled disputes and public distrust after the 2023 general elections.

Akpabio’s swift clarification

Sensing the public backlash that followed hours of debate on the Senate floor, Senate President Godswill Akpabio quickly moved to clarify the chamber’s position.

“The social media is already awash with reports that the Senate has rejected electronic transmission of results. That is not true,” he told colleagues after the bill was passed following a five-hour session. “What we did was to retain the electronic transmission that was in the Act and was used in 2022.”

But for many observers, retaining an old provision rather than strengthening it at a time when public trust in elections remains fragile amounts to a retreat from reform.

Opposition figures cry foul

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led the charge of criticism, describing the Senate’s action as a deliberate assault on transparency that favours incumbents.

“Real-time electronic transmission of results is not a partisan demand; it is a democratic safeguard,” he said in a statement. “To reject it is to signal an unwillingness to submit elections to public scrutiny.”

The Labour Party called the decision “a shameful betrayal of Nigerians,” arguing that electronic transmission had been the most consistent public demand since the last general election.

The Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) labelled the move “shameful and unfortunate,” saying the National Assembly had failed to legislate for electoral sanctity.

Chief Bode George, former PDP Deputy National Chairman, expressed shock that lawmakers would resist digital reform in a technology-driven era.

“Are they lawmakers or lawbreakers? The whole world is going digital and we are going back to the Stone Age,” he said.

Chief Chekwas Okorie, founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), warned Nigerians to remain vigilant, arguing that lawmakers were “toying with the stability of the country’s democracy.”

Other key changes to the bill

Beyond Clause 60, the Senate introduced several other amendments that reshaped aspects of the electoral process.

Lawmakers rejected a proposed 10-year jail term for the buying and selling of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), opting to retain the existing two-year term while increasing the fine from N2 million to N5 million.

The notice period for elections was reduced from 360 days to 180 days, while political parties must now submit candidates’ lists and affidavits 90 days before elections instead of 180 days.

References to smart card readers were replaced with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accreditation and voting. However, the Senate rejected electronically generated voter identification, retaining the PVC as the primary means of voter identification at polling units.

Lawmakers also struck out Clause 142, which would have allowed courts to rely on documentary evidence alone in cases of alleged electoral non-compliance without oral testimony.

The Senate retained provisions requiring INEC to allow political parties to inspect ballot paper samples and confirm how their identities appear on them ahead of elections.

For the bill to become law, both chambers of the National Assembly must harmonise their versions before transmitting it to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

INEC raises red flag over timing

As political tempers rose, INEC struck a cautious note, warning that delays in concluding amendments to the Electoral Act could affect aspects of its preparations for 2027.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed that the commission had already finalised its election timetable based on the existing law but might have to adjust certain components depending on the final version passed by lawmakers.

“We seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action,” he told media executives and civil society organisations in Abuja.

He stressed that the commission is not waiting idly for the legislature, noting that preparations for upcoming elections are already in full swing.

‘Dead men don’t vote’

Amupitan also used the opportunity to announce plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise aimed at sanitising the voters’ register, which currently contains over 93 million names.

“Persistent challenges such as duplicate registrations, underage voters, non-citizens and deceased persons on the register continue to generate legitimate concerns,” he said. “Dead men do not vote.”

He added that the clean-up exercise would strengthen the credibility of the register ahead of the 2027 polls.

INEC is simultaneously preparing for the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026. According to the commission, 1.6 million voters will participate across 2,822 polling units, with BVAS devices already being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal.

Mock accreditation exercises are scheduled in selected polling units, while bye-elections in Rivers and Kano states will hold on the same day.

Governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states are also lined up for June and August 2026, respectively.

A widening trust gap

For many Nigerians, the controversy is no longer about legislative wording but about trust.

The debate over electronic transmission of results has become symbolic of a deeper anxiety – whether the electoral framework for 2027 will close loopholes that have historically enabled manipulation between polling units and collation centres.

While the Senate insists it did not abolish electronic transmission, critics argue that failing to make it mandatory leaves too much room for discretion at a time when citizens are demanding certainty.