Nigeria’s Senate has shifted its position on election technology, approving a fresh amendment that restores electronic transmission of polling unit results under defined conditions.
The decision was taken on Tuesday during a special plenary session convened to revisit contentious provisions of the Electoral Act.
Lawmakers focused on Section 60, which governs how votes are collated and transmitted after polls close.
Under the revised framework, presiding officers at polling units are now permitted to upload results directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Results Viewing Portal once official result sheets have been completed and endorsed.
Explaining the new procedure, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the system prioritises transparency while retaining safeguards.
According to him, electronic upload will only occur after result forms are properly signed and validated at the polling unit level.
He further noted that the amendment anticipates infrastructure challenges that may arise in remote or poorly connected areas.
“Where digital transmission is disrupted, the manually completed result sheet remains the lawful reference point for collation,” Akpabio explained.
The change, adopted as a new sub-clause to Section 60, followed a motion sponsored by Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno.
The motion sought to overturn the chamber’s earlier stance, which had limited the use of real-time electronic transmission in elections.
By approving the amendment, the Senate effectively departs from restrictive elements of the 2023 Electoral Act, reintroducing technology as a central feature of the vote management process.
However, the debate was not without tension. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe initially demanded a formal vote count on the floor, signalling concerns over the implications of the amendment, before later stepping down from that position.
Supporters of the change argue that the revised law balances innovation with practicality, ensuring that elections can proceed smoothly even when technical systems fail.
Critics, meanwhile, insist that strict oversight will be needed to ensure the new provision is not abused.
With the amendment now passed, attention is expected to shift to implementation, as stakeholders assess how the updated law will shape future elections and public confidence in the electoral process.