The Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 but declined to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from election stakeholders ahead of the 2027 polls.
The bill scaled third reading on the Senate floor on Wednesday, with lawmakers voting down a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have compelled Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officers to transmit results electronically from polling units to the IReV portal in real time.
The rejected clause required results to be uploaded immediately after Form EC8A had been completed and endorsed by presiding officers and party agents.
Reacting to the development, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the chamber merely retained the existing provision in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows INEC to determine the method of transmitting results.
Under the adopted section, “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
PVC trading penalties adjusted
Earlier in the plenary, senators also rejected a proposal seeking to impose a 10-year jail term on individuals involved in the buying and selling of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Instead, the chamber retained a two-year imprisonment option while increasing the fine from ₦2 million to ₦5 million under Clause 22 of the bill.
Lawmakers further amended Clause 28 by reducing the period for INEC to publish notices of election from 360 days to 180 days before polling.
Similarly, Clause 29 was altered to shorten the deadline for political parties to submit lists of candidates and accompanying affidavits from 180 days to 90 days before a general election.
The revised provision now mandates parties to submit their candidates—emerging from valid primaries—no later than 90 days to election day.
BVAS retained, PVC remains voter ID
The Senate also upheld Clause 44 on ballot paper formats, requiring INEC to invite political parties to inspect samples of electoral materials at least 20 days before elections. Parties are expected to respond within two days, indicating approval or objections.
Under Clause 47, lawmakers replaced smart card readers with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation. However, after extensive debate, they rejected electronically generated voter identification, opting to retain the Permanent Voter Card as the official means of identification at polling units.
In another major decision, the Senate removed Clause 142, which sought to allow parties alleging electoral non-compliance to rely solely on documentary evidence without calling oral witnesses. Senators argued that the provision could undermine judicial processes.
Next steps
For the amendment to become law, the Senate and House of Representatives must harmonise their versions of the bill before transmitting it to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
