‘Network failures may affect e-transmission’ | ‘Don’t speak for INEC’ — Akpabio, David Mark differ on Electoral Act amendment

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the red chamber did not reject electronic transmission of election results but retained the provision as contained in the Electoral Act 2022.

On February 4, the senate rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory while considering the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026.

The upper chamber, however, maintained the existing clause that allows electronic transfer of results under the 2022 law.

The proposed amendment sought to compel real-time electronic transmission of results and link it directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s result viewing portal (IReV).

Under the current law, INEC is not legally required to transmit results electronically in real time, with manual collation remaining the primary method.

The senate’s decision sparked public backlash and renewed concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.

Speaking in Abuja at the unveiling of a book titled “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria” by Effiong Bob, a former senator, Akpabio said electronic transmission remains permissible under the law.

The senate president said the only adjustment made was the removal of the phrase “real time” from the provision.

“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the senate has not removed any means of transmission,” he said.

“If you want to use a bicycle to carry your votes from one polling unit to the ward centre, do so. If you want to use your phone to transmit, do so. If you want to use your iPad, do so.

“All we said during the discussion was that we should remove the word ‘real-time’ because if you say ‘real-time, then there is a network or grid failure, and the network is not working.

“When you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said.

“Real time means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results. Nationally, if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid.”

Akpabio said the decision was intended to give INEC the flexibility to determine the most suitable mode of result transmission in view of technological and security realities.

He added that the senate would continue to pass laws that reflect the wishes and interests of Nigerians.

Reacting to the explanation, David Mark, former senate president and national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the national assembly should allow INEC to decide whether it can transmit election results electronically or not.

“Let INEC decide whether they can do it (real-time electronic transmission) or not. Don’t speak for INEC,” Mark said.

“What the public demands is electronic transmission. If INEC cannot do it, it’s their own problem, and it’s not for you to speak for INEC. It’s as simple as that, but that is just a by-the-way issue; it’s not a serious issue.”

He added that the debate, while important, should not distract from the core demand for transparent elections.