Nigeria Integrity Watch, a civil society organization, has issued a warning about the potential implications of making real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. They argue that this requirement could disenfranchise many voters, especially those residing in rural communities where internet access and infrastructure are often inadequate. The organization's critique comes in the wake of the Senate passing the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, during which lawmakers rejected a proposed amendment aimed at allowing for real-time e-transmission of voting results.

The proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) would have mandated presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically to the INEC Result Viewing Portal immediately after results are processed at polling units. The rejection of this amendment indicates a significant shift in the Senate's approach to election transparency and technology use, as they opted to retain the existing provision of the 2022 Electoral Act, which focuses on manual results handling.

This decision raises concerns about the integrity and accessibility of the upcoming elections in Nigeria. By refusing to adopt real-time electronic transmission, the Senate may be undermining efforts to enhance electoral transparency and could perpetuate existing inequalities in voter access. This situation necessitates further dialogue between lawmakers and civil society organizations to ensure that the electoral process is fair and inclusive for all citizens, particularly those in underserved areas of the country.