Senate Passes Electoral Act Amendment, Retains Manual Transmission Clause

The Nigerian Senate  on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, resolving a major dispute over Clause 60, which governs electronic transmission of election results.

The controversy arose when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded a division, opposing the proviso allowing manual transmission where network failures occur. He called for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results.

During the division, 55 senators, mostly from the ruling All Progressives Congress and two opposition members, voted to retain the manual fallback option, while 15 opposition senators voted against it.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, described the process as “democracy in action,” praising senators for expressing their positions openly.

The Senate subsequently rescinded the earlier passage and referred the bill to the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration and re-enactment.

The decision confirms that while electronic transmission is allowed, the signed Form EC8A by the Presiding Officer, counter-signed by party agents where available, serves as the primary source in case of network failure.

The development ensures technical and logistical considerations are addressed ahead of the 2027 general elections.