The Nigerian Senate’s latest move to amend the Electoral Act without providing for compulsory electronic transmission of election results has continued to attract public outrage.
Criticisms grew louder on Tuesday after the Senate plenary, with many Nigerians accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the 10th National Assembly of deliberately weakening the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
On Tuesday, the lawmakers amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, while simultaneously creating a major loophole that allows manual result sheets to prevail where electronic transmission fails.
The amendment was adopted during plenary proceedings with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, presiding.
Under the revised provision, presiding officers at polling units are required to electronically transmit results to the IREV portal after the completion of voting.
However, the amendment provides that where electronic transmission is unsuccessful due to communication or network failure, the manual result sheet — Form EC8A — shall become the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
The development came after the upper chamber had earlier last week rejected the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, Result Viewing Portal, IREV.
The proposal, however, has sparked concerns among Nigerians, particularly over the reliance on Form EC8A as the primary source of election results, where disputes arise.
At the heart of the controversy is the claim by many critics that the proposed amendment effectively waters down the gains of electoral reforms, especially provisions relating to electronic transmission of results.
Civil society groups, opposition figures, and legal experts argue that the Senate’s position signals a dangerous return to the era of manual manipulation.
However, speaking on the aftermath of the controversy on Tuesday, Senate Spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, maintained that the red chamber cannot be intimidated over the real-time transmission of election results saga.
Adaramodu made the remarks on Tuesday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
According to him, lawmaking is not comical, adding that the Senate does not play to the gallery.
“We are not worried, we’re not to be intimidated, and we shouldn’t be intimidated.
“And moreover, as we know, in Nigeria and anywhere else where democracy is thriving, there will be shades of opinions, there will be shadows of ideas, and then we have to listen to all. So, that’s what happened,” he said.
Speaking on Tuesday, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, criticised the Senate’s position on the Electoral Act amendment, warning that it could create confusion and undermine the electoral process.
Tanko said the Senate’s approach amounted to “setting the people up,” arguing that lawmakers should either fully support electronic transmission of results or address the infrastructural challenges associated with it, such as poor internet connectivity in some areas.
He faulted claims by some senators that their constituencies lack network coverage, questioning the use of public funds and the level of development brought to such communities by their representatives.
According to Tanko, allowing a return to manual transmission of results where electronic transmission is considered impossible could lead to disputes at polling units and collation centres, as parties may disagree over the existence or absence of network service.
He described the Senate’s position as a “chaotic resolution” that could worsen electoral challenges rather than resolve them, warning that the issue could generate further tension in future elections.
Tanko said: “They (Senate) are setting the people up for chaps. What I meant by this is that you either support the electronic transmission of results holistically and provide solutions to inadequacies that may be faced with that particular process.
“For example, making sure that there is internet in that particular area that they said there’s no network.
“One of the senators shamelessly, for God’s sake, saying that there is no service in his own village, then, what are you in the Senate for? What is the allocation that the government has been giving you? What have you done? What development have you got to your own people? It is disgraceful.
“So and then you now say that where there is no service, you go back to manual transfer, or at when everybody agrees. It is a setup for chaos.
Everybody can say that there is no service in his own area and then there will be an argument between those who want electronic transmission and those who don’t want.
“It’s a chaotic resolution. It won’t help but rather create more problems. At least the only thing in that discussion is that they have now learned that the power of the people reign supreme.
“I will rather advise the National Assembly to be really decisive on this matter rather than to leave it hanging. Today, they are finding it difficult to approve, tomorrow it may turn to hunt them.
“We will continue to advocate for good governance and the process for election. And anything that’s required for us to do based on the confines of law and order, we will do it. Our people will revert back and take a look at the new resolution and take the next step.
“Well, they should wait for the consequence from the people. The action of the people will testify whether they’ve taken the right decision or not. The party, of course, as I said, will revisit it and look at what needs to be done accordingly.”
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