Akpabio Says Senate Only Expunged "Real Time" From Electoral Bill, Retained Rest Provisions

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, says that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission of election results but merely expunged "real time" and retained other provisions as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

Akpabio made the clarification on Saturday in Abuja while speaking at a book launch on the burden of legislators in Nigeria, pointing out that electronic transmission of results remained permissible.

His words, “All we said during discussion was that we should remove the word ‘real-time’ because if you say real-time, then there is a network or grid failure and the network is not working. 


"When you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said."

According to him, the decision was taken to give the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the flexibility to determine the appropriate mode of result transmission, taking into account technological and security challenges, noting further that the upper chamber would continue to enact legislation that reflects the wishes of the Nigerian people.

However, reacting to Akpabio’s position, former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, David Mark said the National Assembly should allow INEC to decide whether or not to transmit election results electronically.

He added that the fully supports real time electronic transmission of election results.

There has been an outrage after the Senate last week passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading, without approving the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

The rejected provision would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, after the prescribed Form EC&A had been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates.

Instead, the Senate adopted the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” 

The vague or ambiguity in the said provision give INEC officials the licence to manipulate election results.