Lagos — Nigeria’s Senate has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, but rejected a proposal to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory, a decision that has sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties and key political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The bill, passed after a third reading following hours of debate, retained the provision of the Electoral Act 2022, which allows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine how election results are transmitted, rather than mandating real-time electronic upload from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The rejected amendment sought to compel presiding officers to electronically transmit results immediately after Form EC8A is completed and signed at polling units.
Akpabio: Senate Did Not Remove Electronic Transmission
Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed claims that lawmakers had voted against electronic transmission entirely, insisting the chamber merely retained the existing law.
“The Senate did not reject electronic transmission of results. What we did was to retain the electronic transmission provision that existed in the 2022 Act and was applied during the last elections,” Akpabio said, warning against “misleading narratives” circulating on social media.
Key Changes in the Amendment Bill
Beyond the transmission controversy, the Senate approved several other changes:
- PVC Trading: Lawmakers rejected a proposed 10-year jail term for buying or selling Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), retaining a two-year imprisonment term while increasing the fine from ₦2 million to ₦5 million.
- Election Timelines:
- Notice of election reduced from 360 days to 180 days.
- Submission of candidates’ lists by political parties shortened from 180 days to 90 days.
- Voter Accreditation: The Senate replaced smart card readers with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) but rejected electronically generated voter identification, retaining the Permanent Voter Card as the sole means of voter identification.
- Legal Provisions: Clause 142 on non-compliance, which would have allowed documentary evidence without oral testimony in election petitions, was removed.
The bill will now proceed to harmonisation with the House of Representatives before being transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Opposition, Stakeholders Condemn Decision
The decision triggered strong backlash from political parties and opposition figures.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission as “a deliberate assault on electoral transparency” that favours incumbents.
“Real-time electronic transmission of results is not partisan; it is a democratic safeguard that reduces manipulation and protects the will of the voter,” Atiku said.
The Labour Party (LP) called the move “a shameful betrayal,” arguing it undermines public confidence in elections, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the Senate’s action was “harmful to democratic consolidation.”
Former PDP Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George labelled the decision “shocking,” accusing lawmakers of dragging Nigeria “back into the Stone Age” at a time when democracies globally are embracing technology to enhance election credibility.
INEC: Preparations Ongoing Despite Legal Uncertainty
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan said the commission has completed the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections based on the existing law, while urging lawmakers to fast-track the amendment process.
He also announced plans to sanitize the voters’ register, stressing that “dead men don’t vote,” as INEC prepares for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to address duplicate, underage, and invalid registrations.
Despite the controversy, INEC says it remains on course with preparations for upcoming elections, including the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun, and several bye-elections.
