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The Senate on Tuesday once more endorsed the electronic transmission of election results, while maintaining manual collation as a contingency measure, after a heated plenary during which 15 senators opposed retaining the disputed proviso in Clause 60 of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.
The resolution followed a dramatic division on the Senate floor, with 55 lawmakers voting in favour of keeping the manual backup provision, while Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) and 14 others voted against it.
The chamber had earlier passed the bill but later reversed its decision and referred it to the Committee of the Whole after new concerns emerged over inconsistencies in certain clauses and the scheduling of the 2027 general elections announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Tuesday’s deliberations were largely centred on Clause 60, which addresses the transmission and collation of election results. Proceedings intensified when Abaribe called for a formal division on the clause, triggering a tense and disorderly session. The Abia South senator had made a similar attempt during the previous week’s emergency sitting but withdrew it under pressure, prompting public criticism and dissatisfaction among some colleagues.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele intervened, urging calm. “Whether or not he has done that in the past, it is within his (Abaribe’s) rights to call for it. Let us allow him,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio reminded colleagues of Abaribe’s earlier failed attempt. “People were mocking you on social media,” Akpabio said, noting that the previous demand had been withdrawn. Several opposition senators immediately objected, insisting that the matter was properly before the chamber.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, argued that revisiting any provision already ruled on would be out of order. The submission sparked further uproar, during which Senator Sunday Karimi briefly confronted Abaribe. Bamidele reminded lawmakers that he had formally moved a motion for rescission, meaning prior decisions on the bill were no longer valid. He maintained that Abaribe’s demand for a division was consistent with the rescission motion.
Each time Akpabio raised the issue mockingly, Abaribe and a handful of opposition senators shouted him down, escalating tensions. Eventually, the Senate President put the matter to a vote.
Senators supporting the manual backup proviso added to Clause 60(3) were asked to indicate by raising their hands. Fifty-five lawmakers, including Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Lere Oyewunmi, stood in support.
Those opposed—favouring real-time electronic transmission without the manual fallback—were only Abaribe and 14 others. With the majority prevailing, the manual backup remained.
Under the amended clause, the manually completed and signed Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results if electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges. This ensures that while results are uploaded electronically to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), manual documentation at polling units remains legally decisive where technology fails.
Before the division, the Senate had reversed its earlier passage of the bill and recommitted it for fresh consideration. Rising under Order 52(6), Bamidele moved that the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, be rescinded and returned to the Committee of the Whole.
He explained that the motion followed INEC’s announcement fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027. Stakeholders had raised concerns that the date conflicted with the statutory requirement that elections be held at least 360 days before the expiration of tenure, as stipulated in Clause 28 of the bill.
Bamidele also cited concerns that elections during Ramadan could affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the process.
He highlighted discrepancies in the bill’s Long Title and multiple clauses—including Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143—affecting cross-referencing, numbering, and internal consistency.
The rescission effectively nullified all prior legislative actions on the bill, allowing the Senate to start afresh. Despite clause-by-clause reconsideration, the outcome on electronic transmission remained unchanged.
Following the defeat of the minority bloc, some aggrieved lawmakers walked out of plenary. The renewed approval comes one week after intense public pressure, protests, and criticism from civil society groups, youth movements, and opposition figures, who had accused lawmakers of attempting to weaken electoral safeguards ahead of the 2027 polls.
While electronic transmission was restored, the Senate stopped short of making real-time uploads compulsory. Presiding officers are required to upload polling unit results to IReV after voting and documentation. Where electronic transmission is not possible due to network issues, the manually completed Form EC8A serves as the official basis for collation.
After the division, Akpabio praised both sides. “Let me thank distinguished senators for their patriotism and display of democracy.
“Those in the minority showed courage by standing against the proviso, and those in the majority ensured the primary mode of election results remains the Form EC8A. Elections are won and lost at polling units, not collation centres,” he said.
The Senate President described the electronic transmission system as a landmark innovation, allowing election monitors—including foreign observers—to track results without visiting Nigeria’s more than 176,000 polling units.
Akpabio did not comment on whether the 2027 presidential election date would shift from February 20 to January 13, fueling speculation in political circles.
Meanwhile, protests continued at the National Assembly complex, with demonstrators under the banner of Occupy the National Assembly warning lawmakers against any actions that could undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.
