By Kingston Magare 10.2.2026
After an emergency session Tuesday, the Godswill Akpabio led Nigerian Senate approved electronic and manual modes of transmitting election results.
This followed the public outrage and protests that greeted the Senate announcement last week electronic transmission will not be retained in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
According to reports the senate modified Clause 60 to require the presiding officer at each polling unit to electronically transmit election results to the IREV portal. However, if electronic transmission fails due to communication/network issues, the manual result sheet (Form EC8A) would become the primary source for result collation.
The session commenced at about 2:20 p.m when Senate president Godswill Akpabio and other principal officers entered into the chamber.
About 10 minutes after the session commenced, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno moved a motion to reverse the Nigerian Senate’s earlier rejection of a clause mandating electronic transmission of election results.
“Real-time electronic transmission of election results is a critical step toward deepening transparency, preserving the sanctity of the people’s mandate, and restoring public confidence in our electoral process,” Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan noted on her Facebook social media platform.
“Our democracy must continue to evolve with systems that ensure every vote truly counts and every voice is faithfully represented. Nigeria deserves elections that inspire trust, strengthen unity, and reflect the genuine will of the people.”