The Nigerian Senate has approved a critical amendment to the Electoral Act, enabling the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission's Result Viewing Portal. This decision was made during an emergency plenary session aimed at addressing a contentious clause in the ongoing Electoral Act Amendment Bill. Notably, while the Senate has endorsed electronic transmission, it has stopped short of making this process mandatory, and provisions for real-time upload of results were also rejected.

Under the new guidelines, presiding officers at polling stations are required to electronically transmit results to the IReV portal after completion of voting and documentation. This allows for a faster dissemination of election outcomes, which is crucial for promoting transparency and trust in the electoral process. However, to mitigate issues arising from potential technology failures, the amendment establishes that manual result sheet (Form EC8A) will serve as the primary basis for result collation and declaration when electronic transmission is impeded by communication or network challenges.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the importance of these changes, shouting out for consensus among senators during the voice vote. The approval marks a significant step towards improving Nigeria's electoral process, especially as it offers a dual approach to results transmission that combines technological efficiency with traditional methods, addressing concerns about electoral integrity and reliability. This development represents a nuanced response to the ongoing debate about adopting modern strategies in electoral management, balancing the need for innovation with the realities of local infrastructure limitations.