Senate bows to pressure, adopts e-transmission of election results

The Senate has approved the use of both electronic and manual methods for transmitting election results from polling units nationwide, following mounting public pressure over plans to limit electronic transmission.

The decision was announced during plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, amid widespread criticism and protests over the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act 2022.

As part of the amendment, the Senate revised Clause 60 of the Act to mandate presiding officers at polling units to electronically transmit election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IREV) portal.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while announcing the resolution, clarified that where electronic transmission fails due to network or communication challenges, the manual result sheet, known as Form EC8A, will serve as the primary document for collation.

Senate names 12-member panel on Electoral Act amendment

He explained that the dual system is intended to address technical limitations in some areas while ensuring that results are transmitted in line with the provisions of the amended law.

The Senate’s decision follows days of sustained protests and public outcry at the National Assembly, with civil society groups and demonstrators demanding the retention of electronic transmission to tackle electoral manipulation and as a means of rebuilding public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

The Star