The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the National Assembly to vote in favour of the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which seeks to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
This followed the adoption of a report by the President of the Association, Max Afam Osigwe, SAN, at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026.
At the meeting, NEC deliberated on the President’s report, which highlighted the Senate’s recent rejection of a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The rejected proposal would have mandated presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal, immediately after Form EC8A had been duly signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
Instead, the Senate resolved to retain the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which merely states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
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NEC noted with concern that this discretionary wording weakens the legal foundation for transparent, real-time transmission of results and leaves room for manipulation, ambiguity, and post-election disputes.
In adopting the President’s report, NEC resolved that the National Assembly must urgently revisit and pass the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) to expressly mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units. NEC emphasised that clear statutory compulsion, rather than discretionary language, is essential to guarantee electoral transparency, protect the integrity of votes cast, and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
NEC further observed that credible elections are the bedrock of constitutional democracy and that continued resistance to enforceable electronic transmission provisions undermines democratic accountability. The council stressed that technology-backed transparency is no longer optional in a modern democracy and that Nigeria must align its electoral framework with global best practices.
Accordingly, NEC called on members of the National Assembly to demonstrate legislative responsibility and statesmanship by voting in favour of the proposed amendment compelling electronic transmission of election results. The council reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to sustained engagement and advocacy to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral laws clearly reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot.
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