By Erewunmi Peace

The Nigerian Senate has rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units compulsory.

The decision was taken during deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 on the Senate floor. Lawmakers voted against a clause that would have made the immediate electronic upload of results a mandatory legal requirement.

However, Senate leadership later clarified that the chamber did not abolish electronic transmission of results entirely. According to lawmakers, electronic transmission remains permissible under existing provisions of the Electoral Act, but it will not be enforced as a compulsory real-time process.

The development has sparked mixed reactions from political stakeholders and civil society groups. While some opposition figures criticized the move, arguing that mandatory real-time transmission would enhance transparency, others maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should retain discretion in determining the most practical method of result transmission.

The Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 has now passed the Senate and is expected to proceed to the next legislative stage.

Further developments are expected as the House of Representatives concludes its own deliberations on the bill.