Senate bows to pressure, includes ‘electronic transmission of election results’ in Electoral Act amendment

• Leaves out real-time transmission

From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

Days after it rejected an amendment to include electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act, the Senate has now adopted it in its report.

However, it did not adopt real-time transmission.

The Senate had last week, while adopting a report of the Committee on Electoral Matters, as amended, retained the provision of the 2022 version of the Act which provides for the “transfer of election results, without providing for electronic transfer or specifying real-time.

This decision sparked public outrage as civil societies, opposition political parties, and other stakeholders rose in protest of the decision. In response, the senators announced that they will reconvene for a special session from their brief break from plenary for budget defence meetings, to make the necessary corrections.

However, on Monday, a group of civil society organisations and activists, including former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, stormed the National Assembly to demand the inclusion of the clause.

In its Tuesday session, while adopting its votes and proceedings of February 4, 2026, the lawmakers made the correction on clause 60(3), which deals specifically with the matter.

After it was approved by voice vote, it was adopted as the position of the Senate.