The House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, approving a hybrid system that allows both manual and electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal.
Newsonspot reports that the bill was passed during an emergency plenary session, despite a walkout by opposition lawmakers led by Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda. During the Committee of the Whole session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu, lawmakers adopted Clause 60, which outlines procedures for counting votes and transmitting results.
Under the new provisions, presiding officers must record the votes scored by each candidate on the prescribed Form EC8A, sign and stamp the form, and allow candidates or their polling agents to countersign it where available. After this, results are to be electronically transmitted to the IREV portal.
However, in cases where electronic transmission fails due to network or communication issues, the signed Form EC8A will serve as the primary source for result collation and declaration. This hybrid model is aimed at balancing transparency with practical challenges, especially in rural areas with poor connectivity.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law at the State House in Abuja, just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unveiled its roadmap for the 2027 general elections. The signing ceremony was witnessed by key National Assembly leaders.
The issue of real-time electronic transmission has been a subject of intense debate. Civil society groups and opposition parties had protested at the National Assembly, calling for mandatory live uploads of polling unit results to curb electoral fraud. Meanwhile, ruling party stakeholders argued that unreliable network coverage makes a fully electronic system unrealistic, advocating for a blended manual and digital approach.
The amended law marks a significant step in Nigeria’s electoral reforms as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.
