Explainer: What Nigerian Senate Approval of Optional Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Results Means

Pat Stevens/

On Tuesday, Nigeria’s Senate approved an amendment to the Electoral Act that allows the real-time electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), but does not make the process compulsory.

The decision, taken during consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is aimed at clarifying the legal status of electronic result transmission and addressing disputes that followed the 2023 general elections.

What exactly did the Senate approve?

The Senate-approved amendment explicitly permits presiding officers to transmit polling unit results electronically to INEC’s IReV platform after results have been certified at the polling unit.

However, the law makes it clear that electronic transmission is optional.

Where transmission is not possible because of network failure or other technical challenges, the manually completed result sheet, Form EC8A, remains the legally recognised basis for collation, declaration and return of results.

In effect, the amendment establishes a clear hierarchy. Electronic transmission may be used to enhance transparency, but manual documentation takes precedence where technology fails.

When can INEC transmit results electronically?

Under the amended provision, electronic transmission can only occur after polling unit results have been properly recorded and certified.
This means votes must first be counted, entered on Form EC8A and signed by the presiding officer and party agents before any upload to IReV can take place.

The law therefore does not allow electronic transmission to replace manual recording at the polling unit. Instead, it positions technology as a supplementary step that comes after the legally required paperwork has been completed.

What happens if IReV is unavailable?

The amendment clearly states that where electronic transmission cannot be carried out, whether due to poor network coverage, system failure or any other reason, the manually completed Form EC8A shall be used for result collation and declaration.

This provision is intended to prevent elections from being invalidated or delayed solely because of technological challenges, particularly in rural or hard-to-reach areas.

How is this different from the 2022 Electoral Act?

The 2022 Electoral Act introduced electronic transmission of results as part of efforts to improve transparency and reduce manipulation. However, it did not clearly define whether electronic transmission was mandatory or how it should be treated when technical failures occurred.

This lack of clarity became a major issue during the 2023 general elections, when delayed uploads to IReV sparked legal disputes and public criticism.

The 2026 amendment seeks to resolve that ambiguity by explicitly stating that electronic transmission is permitted but not compulsory, while reaffirming the primacy of manually completed result forms.

What does this mean for voters and political parties?

For voters, the amendment means that while results may appear on IReV in real time, the absence of an upload does not automatically invalidate polling unit results.

For political parties and candidates, it reinforces the importance of physical result sheets and accredited agents at polling units, since Form EC8A remains the foundational legal document.

What happens next?

The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will proceed through the remaining stages of the legislative process before being transmitted to the President for assent.

If signed into law, the amendment will govern the conduct of future elections, including the 2027 general polls, and is expected to shape how technology and manual processes are combined in Nigeria’s electoral system.