Umeh, 14 other senators vote for real‑time electronic transmission of election results

By Our Correspondent

In a sharply contested vote during plenary on Tuesday, a group of 15 senators voted against a Senate provision that permits the manual transmission of election results where electronic systems fail, insisting instead on mandatory real‑time electronic transmission of polling unit results.

The vote came amid intense debate over Clause 60 of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re‑Enactment) Bill, 2026, a provision designed to guide how election results will be transmitted and collated as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

During the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed the division, saying the exercise demonstrated democracy at work.

When the votes were tallied, 55 senators supported retaining a fallback provision allowing manually signed results sheets to be used where electronic systems falter, while 15 voted against it, arguing that real‑time electronic transmission should be compulsory in the law.

Among those who voted against the manual‑backup clause were:

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central)

Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South)

Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central)

Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South)

Ireti Kingibe (ADC, FCT)

Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West)

Onawo Ogwoshi (ADC, Nasarawa South)

Tony Nwoye (ADC, Anambra North)

Victor Umeh (ADC, Anambra Central)

Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe Central)

Austin Akobundu (PDP, Abia Central)

Khalid Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna North)

Sikayo Yaro (PDP, Gombe South)

Emmanuel Nwachukwu (APGA, Anambra South)

Peter Jiya (PDP, Niger South)

Advocates of mandatory real‑time electronic transmission argued that compulsion was necessary to strengthen transparency and public confidence in the results management process, particularly ahead of the country’s most consequential polls since 2023. Critics say that allowing manual transmission where networks fail could weaken the transparency gains that digital reporting offers.
The result brought mixed reactions from civil society organisations and electoral reform advocates, some of whom have staged protests at the National Assembly to demand that real‑time transmission be prioritised to curb electoral fraud.

As it stands, the Electoral Act amendment retains electronic transmission provisions but preserves the existing manual option as a fallback, reflecting a compromise between technological reform ambitions and infrastructural realities cited by a majority of senators.