ELECTORAL REFORM DISPUTE: SENATORS SAY SIGNED BILL DOES NOT REFLECT SENATE APPROVAL, INSIST ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS

ELECTORAL REFORM DISPUTE: SENATORS SAY SIGNED BILL DOES NOT REFLECT SENATE APPROVAL, INSIST ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS

By PRESSCODE NEWS
ABUJA, NIGERIA. 5TH FEBRUARY 2O26

Opposition senators have raised serious concerns over the recently signed Electoral Amendment Bill, claiming the final version differs substantially from what the Senate approved and warning that critical provisions for electronic transmission of election results may have been compromised.

Speaking at a National Assembly press briefing on Thursday, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, accompanied by colleagues including Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, challenged widespread media reports suggesting the Senate had abandoned electronic transmission of results. The lawmakers insisted such accounts fundamentally misrepresented the outcome of parliamentary deliberations.

The opposition bloc maintained that the bill presented as passed bore little resemblance to the text approved during plenary sessions. According to the senators, essential provisions concerning real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units were either altered or removed entirely, effectively undermining the legislature’s original intent.

Senator Abaribe emphasised that electronic transmission had garnered broad cross-party support following extensive consultations involving both chambers of the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations. He stressed that seemingly minor differences in legal wording between the 2022 Electoral Act and the current version carried significant implications for electoral transparency.

The senators also highlighted procedural irregularities, noting that the Senate has yet to formally adopt its Votes and Proceedings, a mandatory step before the bill advances to the harmonisation committee responsible for reconciling differences between Senate and House versions. Only after this adoption can the consolidated text proceed for presidential assent.

Opposition lawmakers urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding an electoral framework rooted in transparency, credibility and inclusiveness.

PRESSCODE NEWS INSIGHT

This dispute underscores the profound sensitivities surrounding electoral reform in Nigeria and reflects broader anxieties about the integrity of future elections. As the harmonisation process unfolds, the clarity of provisions governing electronic result transmission will prove crucial in determining public confidence in the democratic process amidst persistent concerns over potential result manipulation.

PRESSCODE NEWS
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