The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to mandate electronic transmission of election results while allowing manual collation where network or communication failures make e-transmission impossible.
Under the amendment, presiding officers must transmit polling unit results electronically to INEC’s IReV portal after completing, signing and stamping Form EC8A. Where electronic transmission fails, the manually completed EC8A will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while putting the motion to a voice vote, said the amendment reverses an earlier decision on Section 60(3) of the Act and accommodates areas with poor network coverage.
However, the decision has raised concerns among civil society groups and opposition figures, who warn that relying on manual results could weaken transparency and create room for manipulation.
