The Senate has officially amended the Electoral Act, modifying Clause 60 to require presiding officers at polling units nationwide to electronically transmit election results directly to the IReV portal.
Under the amended provision, results are expected to be uploaded electronically from each polling unit immediately after collation. However, the lawmakers also introduced a fallback option in situations where electronic transmission is impossible.
According to the amendment, if electronic transmission fails due to network or communication challenges, the manual result sheet (Form EC8A) will be used as the primary document for result collation.
The decision has sparked reactions beyond the chambers of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the National Assembly have rejected the idea of a dual system involving both electronic and manual transmission of results.
The protesters insist that allowing manual collation alongside electronic transmission undermines transparency. They argue that any polling unit unable to transmit results in real time should have its election cancelled and re-conducted the following day.
The amendment has reignited national debate over electoral transparency, technological readiness, and public trust in Nigeria’s election process.
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