In a move that has ignited fresh controversy over Nigeria’s electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Nigerian Senate on February 5, 2026, passed the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026. The legislation introduces several updates to election timelines, voter accreditation processes, and stiffer penalties for electoral offenses like vote buying. However, at its core, the bill retains the existing provision in Section 60 of the 2022 Electoral Act, granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the flexibility to process and transmit election result in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
This decision effectively rejects a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, which would have mandated real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after Form EC8A results are signed by presiding officers and countersigned by party agents. Proponents argued this would minimize manipulation during manual collation, a persistent issue in past elections, including the disputed 2023 polls under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The Senate’s clause by clause consideration lasted over five hours, with senators divided along party lines. The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Sharafadeen Alli (APC, Oyo South), had recommended the mandatory electronic upload to enhance transparency, citing INEC’s successful pilots since 2011 and the 2022 Act’s partial implementation via Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Z-Pad devices. However, a majority voted to retain the 2022 wording: “The presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” Senate President Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa Ibom North West) swiftly addressed criticisms in a post plenary statement on February 5: “This Senate has not rejected electronic transmission of results. That is not true. Electronic transmission has always been in our Act, and what we did was retain it… It’s in my interest as a participant in the next election for such to be done electronically.”

“Over 85% of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground. But we approved transmission, not transfer in a mandatory real time sense. INEC retains discretion to use BVAS, IReV, or hybrids, as infrastructure challenges persist in rural areas.” He referenced INEC’s 2021 position paper affirming Nigeria’s readiness for e-transmission but noted 2023 glitches where only partial uploads occurred due to network failures
Opposition voices pushed back. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) told Arise TV on February 6, 2026, “We approved real time electronic transmission to prevent ambiguity, manipulation, and post election disputes. Retaining INEC’s sole discretion is a setback.” The Senate Minority Caucus echoed this in a joint statement on February 6, confirming “election results will be transmitted electronically as prescribed,” but lamenting the lack of compulsion. Civil society and opposition parties decried the outcome as a blow to credibility. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) issued a statement on February 5, 2026 “Rejection of e-transmission to IReV threatens 2027 polls, echoing 2023 failures where BVAS accredited voters but results lagged”

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, expected to align given APC majority, then President Tinubu’s desk.