The Nigerian Senate was thrown into chaos on Tuesday when Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), the Chief Whip, moved a motion to rescind the chamber’s recent decision on Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.
The clause concerns the electronic transmission of election results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
On February 4, the Senate had voted against making real-time electronic transmission mandatory, choosing instead to preserve the existing Electoral Act 2022 wording that allows presiding officers to transmit results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
Citing growing public concern and the need for deeper scrutiny, Senator Monguno invoked Senate Standing Orders to reopen debate on the provision.
He argued for reconsideration of the reliance on physical Form EC8A as the primary source of results in disputed cases.
The motion immediately sparked heated exchanges on the floor. Several senators clashed over whether depending on the signed polling-unit result sheet rather than mandatory real-time uploads risks undermining transparency and opens the door to manipulation during collation.
The uproar intensified calls for division or individual voting on the clause. Critics of the earlier decision warned that the discretionary framework could erode confidence in the electoral process ahead of 2027.
The renewed debate will determine whether the Senate restores stronger language requiring presiding officers to electronically transmit results in real time after signing Form EC8A, or retains the flexible approach.
The outcome remains critical as the bill moves toward harmonization with the House version, which reportedly supports compulsory e-transmission.
Civil society groups and election observers are closely watching to see if the Senate will strengthen electronic safeguards or maintain the status quo.
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