The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the National Assembly to pass a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would make electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) said it adopted a report by NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), urging lawmakers to approve an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill to strengthen electoral transparency and public confidence.
The NEC, which met on February 5, 2026, in Maiduguri, Borno State, said the report underscored the urgent need for statutory compulsion on real-time electronic transmission of results.
According to the NBA, the proposed amendment would require presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal immediately after Form EC8A is signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
The association criticised the Senate’s decision to retain the existing provision in the Electoral Act, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” describing the wording as weak and prone to manipulation.
“The discretionary phrasing undermines democratic accountability,” the NBA said, adding that clear statutory compulsion is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency, protecting the integrity of votes, and restoring public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The association further stressed that credible elections remain the foundation of constitutional democracy and urged lawmakers to demonstrate legislative responsibility by voting in favour of the amendment.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to sustained advocacy to ensure Nigeria’s electoral laws reflect the will of the electorate as expressed at the ballot.
However, the Senate rejected claims that it had removed the requirement for electronic transmission of results. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described such reports as misleading, insisting that the 2022 Electoral Act still mandates presiding officers to transmit results electronically as prescribed by INEC.
“This is misleading. Electronic transmission has not been removed from the law. The provision under the 2022 Electoral Act remains in force, and presiding officers are still required to transmit results electronically as prescribed,” Akpabio said.
He added that retaining the current provision ensures legal and operational clarity while maintaining a secure and standardised electoral process.
The Senate Minority Caucus also clarified that lawmakers did not reject electronic transmission, stressing that the Upper Chamber’s actions were intended to safeguard transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral system.
