ELECTORAL ACT: NBA CALLS FOR COMPULSORY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The Nigerian Bar Association has called on the National Assembly to pass a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would make the electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the NBA’s National Executive Council said it adopted a report presented by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), urging lawmakers to approve an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill.
The NEC, which met in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026, said the report “highlighted the urgent need to mandate the electronic transmission of results to strengthen transparency and public confidence in elections.”
According to the NBA, the proposed amendment would require presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit election results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing portal “immediately after Form EC8A has been duly signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.”
The council faulted the Senate’s decision to retain the existing wording of the Electoral Act, which permits results to be transferred “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” describing it as a move that weakens “the legal foundation for transparent elections and leaving room for manipulation and ambiguity.”
It warned that the discretionary language in the law “undermines democratic accountability” and stressed that “clear statutory compulsion, rather than discretionary wording, is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency, protecting the integrity of votes cast, and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.”
The statement further described credible elections as “the bedrock of constitutional democracy” and urged lawmakers to show “legislative responsibility and statesmanship by voting in favour of the proposed amendment compelling the electronic transmission of election results.”
The NBA also reaffirmed its “commitment to sustained engagement and advocacy to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral laws clearly reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot.”
Meanwhile, the Senate rejected claims that it had removed the electronic transmission requirement. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described such reports as misleading, insisting that the 2022 Electoral Act still mandates presiding officers to transmit results electronically.
“This is misleading.. Electronic transmission has not been removed from the law. The provision under the 2022 Electoral Act remains in force, and presiding officers are still required to transmit results electronically as prescribed.”
Akpabio added that retaining the current provision ensures “legal and operational clarity” while preserving a secure and standardised process.
The Senate Minority Caucus also maintained that lawmakers did not oppose electronic transmission, stating that the actions of the Upper Chamber were aimed at safeguarding transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
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