The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has clarified that the Senate did not throw out the electronic transmission of election results but simply retained the provision as it exists in the 2022 Electoral Act.
Akpabio made the clarification on Saturday in Abuja while speaking at a book launch focused on the burden borne by legislators in Nigeria.
According to him, the transmission of election results electronically remains allowed under the law, but the Senate decided to remove the phrase “real time” from the relevant provision.
Akpabio explained, “All we said during discussion was that we should remove the word ‘real-time’ because if you say real-time, then there is a network or grid failure and the network is not working.
When you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said.”
He said the decision was meant to give the Independent National Electoral Commission flexibility in determining how results are transmitted, especially in light of possible technological and security challenges across the country.
The Senate President also maintained that the upper legislative chamber remains committed to passing laws that align with the aspirations of Nigerians.
Responding to Akpabio’s explanation, former Senate President David Mark said the National Assembly should allow INEC to independently decide whether or not to transmit election results electronically.
Mark further stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fully supports the electronic transmission of election results.
Public backlash has followed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through its third reading last week.
While passing the bill, the Senate declined to approve a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
The rejected amendment would have mandated presiding officers of INEC to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time after Form EC&A had been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates.
Instead, the Senate adopted the existing provision in the Electoral Act, which provides that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
What you should know
The Senate’s decision has reignited concerns about electoral transparency ahead of future elections.
While electronic transmission of results remains legally permitted, the removal of the “real-time” requirement means INEC retains discretion over when and how results are uploaded. Supporters argue this flexibility accounts for network and security challenges, especially in remote areas.
Critics, however, fear the absence of a mandatory real-time framework could weaken public confidence in the electoral process and create room for manipulation, making INEC’s operational choices crucial in determining election credibility.
