.Rejects electronic transmission of results from polling units
.Raises fine for electoral offenders to N5m
.We ‘re ready with election time table, INEC declares
.Says passage of Law will shape adjustments
.As opposition parties, civil society groups express concern over delay
Ignatius Okorocha,Abuja
As the nation awaits the passage of Electoral Amendment Act by the Senate after 48 hours closed door session, the Red Chamber finally passed the Act ,rejecting electronic transmission of election results from the polling units, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) IREV portal in the 2027 election.
Rather, the lawmakers, in a marathon debate on the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, retained the manual transfer of results, as contained in Clause 60(3) of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The Senate’s action has dashed the hopes of opposition parties, civil society organisations and stakeholders in the electoral process who are demanding that the 2027 election results be transmitted electronically from the polling units to INEC’s central server.
The House of Representatives had, in its own proposed amendment released last week, recommended electronic transmission of results from the polling units.
Section 60 (3) of the House version stated, “The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to IREV portal in real time and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidate or polling agents where available at the polling unit.”
However, the version adopted by the Senate reads, “The Presiding Officer shall give to the polling agents and the police officer where available a copy each of the completed forms after that have been duly signed as provided under subsection (2).”
In his remarks,President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, however said the Senate did not reject electronic transmission of election results.
According to him, the Senate only retained that very provision as contained in the Electoral Act 2022. But that Act did not make any provision for electronic transfer of transfer of results.
He further clarified that contrary to misinformation in some quarters that the senate was buying time to derail the passage of the Electoral Act, the lawmakers were determined to pass the Act to ensure that INEC conducts a free, fair and credible 2027 election.
Other key amendments adopted by the Senate, seek to bar the courts from declaring a runner-up as a winner of an election in which he/she scored less than 20 percent of the total votes cast, in situations where the actual winner gets disqualified.
In this instance, the court is required to order a re-run that will exclude such disqualified candidate and the political party that fielded such ineligible candidate.
This relates mainly to candidates who used forged certificates for INEC screening during their nomination processes.
The Senate also proposed an increase in fine against electoral offenders from N500 to N5 million and a two-year jail term upon conviction.
Owing to time constraint, the Senate reduced the 360 days to the end of elected officers’ tenure, required for INEC to begin preparations for the next election, to 180 days.
Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and BVAS remained the only means of voter identification and accreditation, the Senate proposed.
The Senate, after a debate that lasted until 7: 04pm, set up a Conference Committee to harmonise its version of the amendment with the version passed by the House of Representatives.
The committee is chaired by Senator Simon Lalong who is the chairman of the Senate standing committee on INEC and Electoral Matters.
Members include Senators Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Aminu Abbas, Tokunbo Abiru and Adeniyi Adegbonmire.
They are to liaise with their counterparts in the House and complete the assignment in two weeks.
Also, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has completed work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election, reaffirming its readiness to conduct a credible poll despite delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act at the National Assembly.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
According to him, the Commission has already forwarded its recommendations on the proposed Electoral Act amendments to lawmakers and is currently awaiting legislative action.
He noted, however, that the timing of the amendment could influence certain aspects of the election schedule.
Prof. Amupitan explained that while the timetable has been finalized, some outlined activities may require adjustments depending on when the National Assembly concludes work on the amended law
He added,”Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the Commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll.
While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required.
We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure political parties and the Nigerian public that the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election has been finalised in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Having said that, we seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.”
He emphasized that INEC remains committed to delivering a transparent and credible election and will continue to operate within the provisions of the existing legal framework until any new amendments are passed and signed into law.
The development, he said, underscores the Commission’s proactive planning approach ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle
On Voter Revalidation, Amupitan noted that a credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections.
“No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register. Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, has since been continuously updated and deployed in the General Elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections. As of the 2023 General Election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters.
“However, persistent challenges —including duplicate registrations, under-age registration, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records— continue to generate legitimate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process.”
He noted in response the need to give the electorate the opportunity to participateat the 2027 election, the Commission will embark on a thorough clean-up with a view to further sanitising and strengthening the integrity of the register.
Accordingly, the Commission will be embarking on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.
On the Commission’s preparedness for the conduct of FCT area council elections in February 21st, Prof Amupitan disclosed that , “non-sensitive materials have been delivered and are being batched at each Area Council. Recruitment of Ad Hoc personnel have been concluded and their training began on 2nd February 2026.
“While Election Security Personnel have been trained, Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) are currently undergoing training. Furthermore, BVAS devices are being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal, and sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election. There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected Polling Units (PUs) across the six Area Councils.
” The selected PUs will be made available on the Commission’s website. While INEC has deployed specialised resources and targeted sensitisation programmes to empower voters with disabilities and ensure inclusivity, 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited for the polls.
