The Senate has taken a second look at the controversial Clause 60(3) of the proposed Electoral Act Amendment bill 2026-; passing electronic transmission of election results from each polling unit to INEC IREV portal; but completely silent on whether it would be in “real time’.
The senate reached the resolution, reversing its previous position on the clause after an emergency session on Tuesday.
Senate returned to an emergency session to iron out the ‘contentious issues’ in the passage of the proposed 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill-particularly CLAUSE 60(3)) that permits presiding officers to transmit election results electronically from each polling unit to INEC IREV portal in real time -and thereby making it mandatory.
In making a U-Turn on its earlier action , the upper legislative chamber rescinded forthwith its earlier decision that replaces the word ““transmission” for “transfer” in the recommended version; bowing to the public outcry that has since trailed its rejection of electronic transmission in real time.
Coming on Order 1(b) and 52(6), the Chief Whip of the Senate , Mohammed Monguno in a motion called for the amendment of Wednesday’s Votes and Proceedings, precisely the affected page 1482; and recommitted it with a new proposal that would allow the Presiding Officers to transmit election results electronically provided there is no NETWORK FAILURE to INEC IREV portal.
The Senate voted that “Where there is a network failure, then the duly signed FORM EC8A by the presiding officers and party agents (where available) would then be the PRIMARY source of election results.
The senate however did not mention whether or not the electronic transmission would be in “real time” which has been at the heart of the clamours and protests by coalition of Civil Society Organizations in the country since senate first passed the bill last week.
Not satisfied with the the latest decision of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe called for ‘Division’, arguing that that for sake of clarity, each senator should physically vote on the matter.
For a moment, the tranquility in the Senate was slightly disturbed. It took time before the dust simmered and when it did, Abaribe announced his decision to withdraw his earlier call for “Division”.
The rest of the votes and proceedings for last Wednesday was subsequently read and passed – Senator Diket Plang raised the motion and Senator Seriake Dickson seconded it.
When Akpabio puts it to question before hitting the gavel, there was not a single dissenting voice.
Omor Bazuaye.
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