Senate Approves Electronic Transmission with Manual Backup

By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

The Senate has approved electronic result transmission while retaining manual collation as a backup. This follows a rowdy session regarding the Electoral Act 2026, where lawmakers debated the balance between technology and traditional documentation.

In a dramatic vote, 55 senators supported the manual backup clause, while Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and 14 others opposed it. The majority favored a dual system over a purely real-time electronic process.

Tensions flared as Abaribe demanded a formal division, leading to sharp exchanges with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Despite the friction and brief confrontations, the majority successfully maintained the manual fallback provision.

The law now stipulates that the manually signed Form EC8A is the primary authority if technical issues occur. While results will be uploaded to the IReV portal, physical records remain the final legal safeguard.

The Senate rescinded its previous vote to fix discrepancies and address 2027 election timing concerns.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that the original schedule clashed with statutory requirements and potential Ramadan logistics.

Protesters at the National Assembly urged lawmakers not to weaken electoral integrity. However, the Senate declined to make real-time uploads mandatory, keeping the physical paper trail as the ultimate safety net.

Senate President Akpabio commended the house for its patriotism after the vote. He called electronic transmission a major innovation for observers while insisting that manual backups protect the overall process.