Manny Ita-
The Nigerian Senate finalized the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 during a marathon legislative session on February 4, 2026, marking a significant update to the nation’s voting framework. Despite the inclusion of several modernization efforts, the session was defined by a contentious vote regarding Clause 60(3), where lawmakers officially rejected a proposal to make the real-time electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal a statutory requirement. By opting to retain the language of the 2022 Act, the Senate has maintained that results shall be transferred “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” effectively leaving the method of transmission to the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rather than a rigid legal mandate.
Addressing the immediate public outcry and reports that the chamber had moved to “ban” electronic processes, Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified the legislative intent during the plenary. “This Senate under my watch has not rejected the electronic transmission of results. We have retained what was in the previous Act,” Akpabio stated, dismissing social media reports to the contrary as inaccurate. He further explained that the chamber “simply opted to give INEC the discretion to manage the process as they see fit, rather than making it a rigid statutory requirement that could lead to legal technicalities if glitches occur.” This stance, however, has failed to appease critics who argue that the lack of a mandatory “real-time” clause leaves the door open for manual interference during the collation process.
The legislative decision has faced swift condemnation from opposition leaders and transparency advocates who view the move as a retreat from the reforms promised after the 2023 general elections. Opposition figures described the vote as a “calculated blow against transparency,” asserting that the “discretion” granted to INEC was a primary source of the legal and logistical disputes in previous cycles. Civil society groups have echoed these concerns, warning that without “hard-wiring” mandatory transmission into the law, the 2027 elections remain vulnerable to traditional manipulation between polling units and collation centers. Beyond the transmission clause, the 2026 Bill formally integrates the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) into law, shortens the election notice period to 180 days, and significantly increases individual campaign donation limits to ₦500 million. The bill now heads to a joint conference committee to harmonize differences with the House of Representatives’ version before being transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
