The Senate has approved a provision allowing the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal, while retaining manual collation as an alternative in cases of technological failure.
The decision was reached during plenary on Tuesday following renewed consideration of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026.
Leading the motion, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) told lawmakers that a closer examination of the clause showed the need for adjustments to minimise potential disputes and logistical complications on election day.
He proposed that presiding officers be permitted to upload results electronically to the IReV portal after completing, signing and stamping Form EC8A at the polling unit.
The revised clause, however, does not make electronic transmission compulsory, nor does it mandate real-time uploading of results.
Instead, it provides that where network or communication challenges prevent electronic upload, the manually completed EC8A form will be used as the authoritative document for collation and declaration of results.
Senator Abba Moro, Minority Leader of the Senate, seconded the motion, noting that electoral reforms must reflect both transparency objectives and the infrastructural realities across the country.
The amendment was subsequently put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and was adopted by the chamber.