Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has defended the National Assembly’s decision to remove/decline a clause that would have made real-time electronic transmission of polling-unit results mandatory, arguing that poor connectivity and insecurity would make compulsory e-transmission impractical in parts of the country.
Speaking at the launch of a book in Abuja, Akpabio said “over nine states” have places where “networks are not working because of insecurity,” and warned that a strict “real-time” requirement could trigger disputes or invalidate results from those areas if uploads fail.
What the Senate actually changed (and what it kept)
Reporting on the amended Electoral Act process indicates the Senate rejected a proposal to make uploads to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) mandatory after vote counting, while retaining language from the 2022 Electoral Act that leaves the method of results transmission to procedures prescribed by INEC.
The Nation’s account of the debate around Clause 60 says lawmakers rejected the “real-time” IReV upload requirement, and instead kept provisions that require results to be recorded at the polling unit and transferred in a manner determined by INEC—alongside penalties for willful contravention.
Why this matters
- Trust and transparency ahead of 2027: Mandatory real-time e-transmission is widely seen (by reform advocates and opposition voices) as a key safeguard against manipulation between polling units and collation centers. The Senate’s move has reignited fears of backsliding.
- A practical vs. political argument: Akpabio’s defense frames the issue as operational—network outages, insecurity, and even national infrastructure failures—rather than a rejection of technology itself.
- INEC discretion remains central: Keeping the 2022 framework effectively preserves INEC’s latitude on how results are transmitted, rather than hard-coding “real-time” upload into statute.
What Akpabio said — key points
- He argued that mandatory real-time transmission could mean “no election results” in affected areas where networks fail due to insecurity.
- He emphasized a separation of roles: the National Assembly makes laws, while INEC determines modalities/technology for elections within the legal framework.
Reactions and pushback
- Parallel Facts reports the comments come amid widespread criticism from Nigerians, opposition parties, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urging lawmakers to reverse course ahead of 2027.
- A separate account of the Senate drama shows opposition senators disputing the “scrapped” framing, saying the process was still unfolding and insisting they support mandatory e-transmission; the controversy also reflects confusion over what was adopted “as amended.”
What to watch next
- Final harmonisation and clean copy: The controversy partly hinges on legislative wording and the final text transmitted onward.
- INEC’s operational stance: If the law remains discretionary, attention shifts to INEC’s regulations, infrastructure plans, and how it defines “transmission” and public viewing via IReV.
- Political pressure and public mobilisation: With reform groups and opposition figures framing this as an integrity issue, the National Assembly may face sustained pressure as 2027 approaches.
Source: Parallel Facts report on Akpabio’s remarks ; additional reporting on the bill’s clause-by-clause outcome and the IReV “mandatory” provision
