Senate Backtracks, Approves Electronic Transmission After Public Outcry

The Senate has approved a proposal allowing the electronic transmission of election results from polling units.

The new position followed a motion moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, seeking to rescind the chamber’s earlier rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.

With the adoption of the new proposal, the Senate passed an amended Clause 60(3), permitting the presiding officer at each polling unit to transmit election results electronically after Form EC8A has been duly completed and signed.

Under the approved clause, electronic transmission is allowed where the technology does not fail and is usable. However, in situations where electronic transmission fails or becomes impossible, the signed Form EC8A will serve as the primary source of election results.

The passage of the clause generated debate on the Senate floor, with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe initially calling for a division on the matter before withdrawing the request moments later.

Senate had last Wednesday, retained provisions of the extant Electoral Act, 2023, which effectively rejected electronic transmission. The rejection, however, generated a lot of reactions from Nigerians and opposition parties, with some calling for the removal of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.