IPAC URGES CAREFUL APPROACH TO ELECTRONIC RESULTS TRANSMISSION
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Inter-Party Advisory Council has cautioned the National Assembly against introducing amendments to the Electoral Act that could undermine transparency in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on The Media, IPAC National Chairman Yusuf Danteli said that while electoral reforms are necessary, lawmakers must ensure that proposed changes do not create new challenges or weaken public confidence in the system.
“Anything that strengthens transparency and public trust is welcome. But we must avoid introducing provisions we may later regret,” Danteli said.
Reflecting on the 2023 general elections, he described the polls as competitive but acknowledged that there were operational shortcomings.
“The 2023 general election was one of the most competitive in Nigeria’s history. Sitting governors lost senatorial races, and votes were counted in many areas. However, there were glitches, particularly in the presidential election. We need to clearly understand what went wrong,” he said.
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He cautioned against expanding electronic processes without sufficient infrastructure and security measures in place.
“If we are advocating electronic collation, not just transmission, does INEC have the necessary infrastructure? Is the system protected from hacking? These cyber vulnerabilities must be addressed,” he added.
“While technology can enhance the process, corruption and institutional weaknesses must also be tackled. Electoral reform is holistic,” he said.
His comments come as the National Assembly prepares to reconvene on Tuesday for an emergency plenary session to deliberate on the 2027 election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission and to resolve outstanding disagreements over proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
The House of Representatives had earlier scheduled Tuesday, February 17, for the emergency sitting, a development confirmed by its spokesperson, Akin Rotimi. The Clerk to the National Assembly later announced that both chambers would reconvene, urging lawmakers to adjust their schedules accordingly.
At the centre of the disagreement between the Senate and the House is the legal status of electronic transmission of election results and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), particularly whether uploads from polling units must be real-time and legally binding or left to discretion where connectivity challenges exist.
While the Senate has passed its version of the amendment after a third reading and subsequently revisited aspects of it, differences remain—especially over the scope and rigidity of electronic transmission requirements.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, who also appeared on the programme, said efforts to harmonise the proposed amendments were ongoing alongside preparations for the emergency plenary session.
“Yes, both processes are ongoing. Beyond the initial discussions, new concerns have emerged, including whether election dates may coincide with Ramadan or the Lenten period. These are issues of public sensitivity that must be carefully considered before proceeding,” he said.
Speaking on the fate of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s 2027 election timetable should the amendment become law, Balogun stressed that the principle of legislative continuity would apply.
“The law is a continuum. Once an amendment is passed, it becomes the prevailing law, while actions already taken under the existing Act remain valid. Independent National Electoral Commission can adjust timelines if necessary—we have seen election schedules shift before, including in 2011 and 2019,” he said.
He explained that a 24-member harmonisation committee, made up of 12 lawmakers from each chamber, would resolve outstanding differences by adopting either the Senate’s or the House’s position on each disputed provision.
“The committee selects one position per item. We do not amend or rewrite provisions; we simply adopt either the Senate’s version or the House’s version. It is about reaching the best agreement, not competition,” he said, adding that most decisions are reached by consensus rather than voting.
The Lagos lawmaker also defended current polling unit procedures, noting that results are properly documented and shared with party agents before being uploaded electronically.
After voting concludes, the presiding officer counts the ballots, completes Form EC8A, and issues copies to party agents before photographing the result sheet and uploading it to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
He explained that where network coverage is unavailable at the time, the upload is carried out once connectivity is restored, stressing that the physical result sheets remain the primary records used during ward-level collation.
Responding to concerns about possible manipulation at the collation stage, Balogun said the simultaneous duplication of result sheets significantly reduces the risk of alteration.
“Results are recorded and duplicated at the same time, and every party agent receives an identical copy. If any discrepancy arises, it can be challenged immediately,” he said.
Balogun added that result uploads to IReV are already standard practice, noting that much of the debate centres on interpretation. According to him, “real-time” transmission simply means the presiding officer sends the result promptly, while its immediate appearance online depends on network availability.
He cautioned against penalising presiding officers for connectivity challenges beyond their control, emphasising that the portal is primarily intended to strengthen transparency.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele identified broadband penetration and network reliability as major concerns, warning that enforcing mandatory real-time transmission could be impractical in areas with poor connectivity. He advocated granting INEC discretion in such circumstances.
The stance has drawn mixed reactions from stakeholders, with some expressing concern that granting discretion could reopen disputes similar to those recorded during the 2023 general elections, when challenges in uploading presidential results triggered protests and court cases.
A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mike Igini, also warned against weakening safeguards meant to curb human interference in the collation process.
According to him, network coverage has improved considerably across the country, noting that INEC successfully piloted electronic transmission during off-cycle elections ahead of 2023. He explained that the system is structured to operate offline and synchronise automatically once connectivity is restored, stressing that real-time transmission simply means results are sent immediately after they are signed by the presiding officer.
Igini cautioned that any provision allowing wide discretion must not erode transparency, arguing that the central objective of electronic transmission is to reduce human involvement at collation stages, where most disputes typically occur.
He warned that diluting such safeguards could weaken public confidence in the electoral process and ultimately work against lawmakers themselves in future elections.
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