The Nigerian Senate has officially approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) while permitting manual collation as a backup in cases where technology fails. The decision was taken during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday to reconsider a disputed clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Under the amended provision, presiding officers at polling units are required to electronically transmit results to the IReV portal after completing voting and signing Form EC8A. However, in locations with network or communication failures, the manual Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for result collation and declaration.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio explained the rationale, stating:
“If electronic transmission of results fails due to network or communication challenges, the manually signed Form EC8A shall become the primary source for collation and declaration of results.” He further urged senators who disagreed with the amendment to formally challenge it through a counter-motion.
While the amendment aims to integrate digital solutions into Nigeria’s electoral process, civil society organizations and opposition figures have raised concerns that allowing manual results to override electronically transmitted results could compromise transparency and create room for manipulation, especially in areas with poor network coverage.
The approval highlights Nigeria’s efforts to modernize electoral processes, balancing technological innovation with practical contingencies for polling units lacking reliable infrastructure.
