Senate President Godswill Akpabio has clarified that the Senate did not oppose electronic transmission of election results, but rather upheld the provision already contained in the Electoral Act 2022.
His explanation comes amid public criticism following the Senate’s decision on February 4 to reject a proposal that sought to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory during deliberations on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026.
According to Akpabio, the Senate retained the existing section of the 2022 Act, which allows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically but does not compel real-time transmission. Under the current law, manual collation of results remains valid, and electronic transmission is optional rather than compulsory.
The proposed amendment aimed to mandate real-time electronic transmission of results and directly integrate the process with INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The Senate’s refusal to adopt the change, however, sparked public backlash and renewed concerns about transparency in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Speaking in Abuja at the launch of The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, a book authored by former Senator Effiong Bob, Akpabio stressed that electronic transmission remains legally permissible, noting that the only alteration was the removal of the words “real time.”
“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission,” he said.
Akpabio explained that deleting the “real-time” requirement was meant to prevent legal challenges that could arise from network disruptions, technical failures, or security issues that might delay immediate uploads.
He warned that enforcing real-time transmission could lead to excessive litigation and potentially invalidate elections in areas affected by poor network coverage or insecurity, even where results are otherwise credible.
According to him, the Senate’s decision was intended to grant INEC the flexibility to choose the most suitable method of result transmission based on prevailing conditions, while still permitting electronic transmission wherever practicable.
