NBA Urges N/Assembly to Approve Electronic Transmission of Election Results
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the National Assembly to reconsider and pass a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would mandate the electronic transmission of election results from polling units.
This appeal was made following the adoption of a report by NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026.
The report expressed concern over the Senate’s recent rejection of an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, which would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal immediately after Form EC8A is signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
The NEC highlighted that the current discretionary language in the Electoral Act—allowing presiding officers to transfer results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission’—undermines the legal basis for transparent, real-time reporting.
According to the council, this ambiguity creates opportunities for manipulation, misinterpretation, and post-election disputes.
In endorsing Osigwe’s report, the NEC resolved that the National Assembly should urgently pass the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) to explicitly require the electronic transmission of results.
The body emphasized that clear statutory mandates, rather than discretionary language, are vital to ensuring electoral transparency, safeguarding the integrity of votes, and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The NEC further stressed that credible elections are fundamental to a healthy democracy. Resistance to enforceable electronic transmission measures, the council asserted, threatens democratic accountability.
‘Technology-backed transparency is essential in a modern democracy,” the NEC stated, urging Nigeria to align its electoral framework with international best practices.
The council concluded by calling on lawmakers to act with responsibility and statesmanship in supporting the amendment.
The NBA reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing advocacy and engagement to ensure Nigeria’s electoral laws accurately reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.
