Storm of public anger and dissatisfaction have continued to greet the Nigerian Senate’s latest move to amend the Electoral Act without providing for compulsory electronic transmission of election results.
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.
DAILY POST reported that the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday 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.
DAILY POST reports that 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, who spoke to DAILY POST following the development, argue that the Senate’s position signals a dangerous return to the era of manual manipulation.
We can’t be intimidated – Senate insists
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.
Senate setting stage for chaos – Obidient Movement
Speaking with DAILY POST 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.”
Lawmakers creating loopholes to manipulate polls – Ex-PDP National Auditor, Nnaji
Speaking also with DAILY POST, a former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ray Nnaji, accused the National Assembly of deliberately creating loopholes in the Electoral Act amendment to enable manipulation of the electoral process.
Nnaji said the proposed changes to the law were aimed at weakening transparency, arguing that many lawmakers were aware they would struggle to retain their seats under a fully transparent electoral system.
According to him, public pressure remains critical in determining the outcome of the amendment process, stressing that the views of Nigerians must be reflected in the final law.
He alleged that the timing of the amendment was deliberate, claiming that lawmakers were attempting to push through the changes quickly in order to achieve their desired outcome.
Nnaji warned that resistance from the public could disrupt the electoral timetable if the amendment is rejected, potentially affecting preparations for future elections.
Nnaji declared: “You know quite well that these are loopholes for the manipulation of the system. So all these things are loopholes they are creating to manipulate the system. Most of them knew quite well they can’t come back to the National Assembly if the system is transparent, they can’t come back.
“The people will determine what will happen. But I must have to say, even if they come and harmonize and remove the real time transmission, the pressure that was mounted which made them do what they are doing now, will still have to be mounted. The people’s view must have to take place.
“They decided to do the electoral act amendment belatedly in order to see if they can do it so fast, and then manipulate and succeed in getting what they want.
“And if they try to do that and the people say no, it all means we have to shift the election timetable, and it will affect the conduct of the entire election. That’s what I’m seeing. I don’t know why the people will say this is what we want and you refuse to do that.”
Politicians lack leadership – CRRAN President, Omotayo
Similarly, the President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, Barr Olu Omotayo, criticised Nigerian politicians over the controversy surrounding the Electoral Act amendment, accusing them of failing to show leadership on electoral reforms.
Omotayo said the debate over electronic transmission of results should not be limited to the period close to elections, noting that genuine reforms ought to have been pursued immediately after the last general election.
According to him, making electronic transmission mandatory requires deliberate investment in infrastructure, particularly telecommunications, which he said has been neglected.
Omotayo accused politicians of pursuing personal interests rather than prioritising the welfare of the electorate, insisting that electoral reforms and infrastructural development should be continuous processes, not last-minute concerns.
He further said the proposed amendment does not represent any significant improvement on the existing law, describing it as a rewording of the old provisions without meaningful change.
According to him, the failure to strengthen the Electoral Act will effectively return the country to the status quo, stressing that accountability and development are often only emphasised during election periods.
He said: “Our politicians aren’t showing leadership, because it’s not when the election remains a year everybody will be jumping up.
“This is something that they are supposed to have tackled since the time of the last election if you want to make e-transmission mandatory.
“Part of good governance is to demand for infrastructure and also development of the society. If you look at the NCC report over 70% of rural areas are not covered by mobile networks. Even in the cities, not all the places we refer to our city have this mobile network.
“So the problem is that the politicians, people we have in power, are only interested in themselves. They’re only interested in their own, what they want to achieve is not for the populace.
“This is something they are supposed to have been canvasing, right from the first day this government came in. Politicians are part of the problem.
“There has not been any improvement on the former law. It’s still the same law, just that the language is a bit different, but it still means the same thing.
“When a government comes to power, we demand accountability. We demand improving the amenities, but nobody is doing that until the election period. We are back to square one.”
Senate endorsed electoral banditry – Analyst
On his part, a public affairs analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, criticised the Senate’s position, describing it as an endorsement of what he termed “electoral banditry.”
Odo said he was not surprised by the lawmakers’ action, arguing that many senators benefited from loopholes in the electoral process and lacked the incentive to close them.
According to him, the amendment empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to alternate between electronic transmission of results and manual processes, a development he said could undermine electoral credibility.
He alleged that similar loopholes were exploited during the 2023 general elections, when electronic transmission reportedly failed in some areas, leading to discrepancies between results uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and those collated manually.
Odo cited Rivers State as an example, claiming that results presented at collation centres differed from those recorded at polling units, yet were admitted due to provisions in the Electoral Act.
He maintained that several lawmakers benefited from such irregularities and questioned their willingness to reform the system.
Describing the Senate’s action as self-serving, Odo called on Nigerians to reject the amendment and pressure lawmakers to revisit it.
He said: “No. I’m not surprised. How did we expect the same persons who benefited from the loopholes in the election transmission to fix it? They knew that if they fix it, the System will ensure that they are not reelected into the Senate.
“They have simply empowered INEC to switch between e-transmission to manual. This means a lot. The manual transmission as backup means that INEC can repeat what they did in 2023.
“If an unwanted candidate is leading, the IReV will experience ‘glitch. Many results submitted to the collation centres will totally differ from the ones obtained at the polling units.
“We all saw the mutilated results from Rivers state. And because of the loopholes allowed in the electoral act, these mutilated copies were admitted as true copies.
“Many of the lawmakers benefited from these anomalies. So, how do you expect them to fix it?
“The action by the lawmakers is abominable and self-serving. Nigerians should reject it and pressure them to amend the act. A law that fails to reflect the wills of the people is atrocious and unprogressive.
“Let’s not empower an odoriferous electoral banditry that can create eternal atrocious proclivity for calamities.”
DAILY POST further reports that other notable political figures in the country who have also expressed displeasure against the position of the Senate on the matter include Obiageli Ezekwesili (former Minister of Education), veteran Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, among others.
Meanwhile, Senate President Akpabio said on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the amended Electoral Act into law this month.
Akpabio stated this during an emergency plenary session where the lawmakers constituted a committee to harmonise its version of the bill with the one passed by the House of Representatives.
The 12-member committee will work with the House of Representatives to harmonise the versions of the bills passed by both bodies.
“I believe that if you are able to conclude within this — in the next few days or one week— the President should be able to sign this amended Electoral Bill into an Act of Parliament within this month of February,” the Senate president told the lawmakers.
“So I wish you a worthy deliberation with your colleagues,” Akpabio said.
