Opposition political parties and the Senate Minority Caucus have responded to controversy over the treatment of electronic transmission of election results in the recently passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, with differing accounts of whether the Senate rejected or retained the provision during its plenary session.
The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which seeks to repeal and reenact the 2022 Electoral Act, was passed by the Senate on Wednesday following extensive debate on key clauses including the one addressing electronic transmission of election results.
The clause on real‑time electronic transmission has been a major point of contention among lawmakers, civil society groups and political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Following the Senate’s passage of the bill, reports circulated that the upper chamber had rejected a proposed amendment that would have made electronic transmission from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV portal mandatory.
The Senate Minority Caucus, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, held a press briefing on Thursday to clarify that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission of results as already provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.
Abaribe said debates during committee and plenary sessions reflected agreement on the importance of electronic transmission, and that procedural misunderstanding had led to misreporting of the chamber’s actions.
In contrast, opposition political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issued a joint statement denouncing the Senate’s rejection of the amendment that would have made electronic transmission mandatory.
The parties said the Senate’s action undermines transparency and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process, accusing the APC‑led upper chamber of protecting loopholes that could facilitate manipulation.
Opposition statements described the Senate decision as retrogressive and inconsistent with widespread public demand for transparent and credible elections.
Senator Abaribe said: “Since yesterday, the media has been awash with reports suggesting that the Senate rejected electronic transmission of election results.
That is not correct. To put the record straight, the Senate did not…. I repeat, did not reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.”
In a joint statement, the opposition parties said: “With this anti‑people and anti‑democratic action, we are concerned that the APC‑led Senate may have set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades.”
The dispute over electronic transmission in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill highlights broader national debates over electoral reform and credibility of future polls. Electronic transmission was a key feature in the 2023 general elections and remains central to public calls for transparency.
The controversy also underscores tensions between the legislative agenda of the ruling party and demands from opposition parties and civil society for stronger electoral safeguards.
