News

Senate Moves to Enforce Electronic Transmission of Election Results in New Electoral Act

Published by admin on October 23rd, 2025.

Senate Moves to Enforce Electronic Transmission of Election Results in New Electoral Act

The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill seeking to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and replace it with a new Electoral Act 2025, which will make electronic transmission of election results mandatory ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The proposed legislation, which passed its second reading on Wednesday, aims to improve the conduct of federal, state, and area council elections. Lawmakers say the bill responds to growing concerns over the technical failures that marred the result transmission process during the 2023 presidential election.

Presenting the bill, Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, explained that the review was crucial to correcting the weaknesses exposed in the 2023 polls and to building a more transparent and credible electoral system.

Before the second reading, the National Assembly’s joint committees on Electoral Reforms, in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), had held a public hearing—an action that some observers questioned on procedural grounds.

A draft of the amendment obtained by Daily Trust reveals that lawmakers plan to revise Section 60(5) of the 2022 Act to explicitly require electronic transmission of results.

Under the proposed section, “the Presiding Officer shall transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters, to the next level of collation both electronically and manually.”

By contrast, the 2022 law merely states that results should be transferred “in a manner prescribed by the Commission,” without specifying electronic means.

—

Senators Push for Comprehensive Electoral Reforms

During the debate, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) stressed the need to correct inconsistencies in the existing Act.

“In our haste to pass the last law, we made certain omissions—such as excluding senators, governors, and other elected officials from serving as delegates. That must be fixed,” he said.

Aliero also called for stronger safeguards to prevent electoral violence and rigging, urging improvements to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) so that “the final results truly reflect the people’s votes.”

Other senators echoed similar sentiments.

Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) advocated for transparent party primaries, lower campaign spending, and tougher penalties for vote-buying.

Senator Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North) supported the inclusion of electronic transmission and independent candidacy, while Senator Olalere Oyewunmi (PDP, Osun West) pushed for stricter sanctions on electoral offenders, including officials of INEC and security agencies.

Oyewunmi, the Deputy Minority Leader, lamented the lack of accountability for those who compromised previous elections.

Senator Patrick Ndubueze (APC, Imo North) proposed that election results be collated and announced within six hours after voting, while Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North) called for clearer definitions of security agencies’ roles and better election technology.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) warned against holding all elections in a single day, noting that “any disruption could jeopardize the entire process.”

Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) emphasized that electoral reform must be a top priority for the 10th Senate, reminding colleagues of how past leaders, including the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and former President Goodluck Jonathan, strengthened democracy through acts of integrity.