The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has renewed calls for reforms to Nigeria’s electoral framework, urging the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Amendment Bill to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
In a statement issued on Saturday via X (formerly Twitter), the association said its National Executive Council (NEC) adopted a report presented by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), recommending legislative changes to strengthen electoral transparency. Central to the proposal is an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill.
The NEC, which convened in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026, said the report underscored the urgency of mandating electronic transmission of results as a means of improving transparency and restoring public trust in the electoral process.
According to the NBA, the proposed amendment would obligate presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit polling unit results electronically and in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal immediately after Form EC8A has been signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
The association criticised the Senate’s decision to retain the existing wording of the Electoral Act, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” The NBA argued that such discretionary language weakens the legal framework for credible elections and creates opportunities for manipulation and uncertainty.
NEC warned that vague statutory provisions undermine democratic accountability, insisting that explicit legal compulsion—not discretionary authority—is necessary to safeguard the integrity of votes, enhance transparency, and rebuild confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Describing credible elections as “the bedrock of constitutional democracy,” the NBA called on lawmakers to demonstrate statesmanship by approving the amendment mandating electronic transmission of results. It also reaffirmed its commitment to sustained advocacy aimed at ensuring that electoral laws reflect the will of the electorate.
Meanwhile, the Senate has rejected claims that it removed the requirement for electronic transmission of results. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described such reports as inaccurate, maintaining that the relevant provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act remain intact.
“This is misleading. Electronic transmission has not been removed from the law. The provision under the 2022 Electoral Act remains in force, and presiding officers are still required to transmit results electronically as prescribed,” Akpabio said.
He added that retaining the existing provision provides legal and operational clarity while ensuring a secure and standardised transmission process.
The Senate Minority Caucus also maintained that the Upper Chamber did not oppose electronic transmission, stating that the legislature’s actions were guided by the need to protect transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
