Senator Onyebuchi Nwaebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North in the National Assembly, has stated that the Senate’s recent amendment to the Electoral Act has formally recognised the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) as an official reference platform for election results.
The Senate had earlier rejected the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the IREV portal but later reversed that decision following widespread public criticism.
While approving electronic transmission, lawmakers retained a clause permitting manual collation of results in areas where internet connectivity is poor—a provision that has continued to generate debate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Senator Nwaebonyi argued that the Senate deserves praise rather than criticism for its decision.
“Before now, Section 60, Subsection 3, which deals mainly with the transfer and transmission of results from polling units under the 2022 Electoral Act, made no mention of IREV. There was no electronic transmission of results as a matter of law.
“But now, the 10th Senate, being a corrective Senate, has taken a decision to expressly introduce electronic transmission of results from polling units to IREV.
“IREV is not a collation centre; it is merely a portal where people could view results before now. But by what we did yesterday, IREV has been statutorily authenticated as a reference point,” Senator Nwaebonyi said.
He described the move as historic, maintaining that it marks the first time electronic transmission of results has been clearly recognised in Nigerian law.
“As a matter of fact, the 10th Senate has made a name in the history of this country because this is the first time we are trying to recognise electronic transmission of results — it never happened before,” he said.
Network challenges
The lawmaker explained that the decision to retain manual collation in certain situations reflects the country’s technological realities. According to him, not all communities have reliable internet access to support real-time transmission.
“You will agree with me that in the last election, for example, in my village, we didn’t have network; you cannot transmit within record time,” he said.
“Now the Senate, being elders, looked into it and asked: what happens to those results that didn’t report on the INEC portal on time? Does it mean we jettison those results? Does it mean you will disenfranchise people who voted there? That is why we put that proviso,” he added.
Nwaebonyi further claimed that most Nigerians support the Senate’s approach, suggesting that opposition criticism reflects political dissatisfaction rather than public sentiment.
“My opinion is that Nigerians, of course, are happy with what we did. It is very few opposition members who feel that politics is all about protesting at the National Assembly,” he said.
The amendment continues to stir discussion nationwide, with supporters describing it as a step toward strengthening transparency, while critics insist that retaining manual collation leaves room for potential manipulation.
What you should know
Senator Onyebuchi Nwaebonyi says the Senate’s amendment to the Electoral Act has formally recognised INEC’s IREV portal as a legal reference point for election results.
While electronic transmission has now been introduced into law, the Senate retained manual collation in areas with poor network coverage. Nwaebonyi argues that the decision prevents voter disenfranchisement in rural communities, while critics believe the manual clause could weaken transparency.
The amendment remains a central issue in Nigeria’s ongoing electoral reform debate.
