Civil society organisations have called on the conference committee of the National Assembly to adopt a clear and mandatory framework for the electronic transmission of election results, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made in a joint statement presented by the Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, and the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr. Lanre Arogundade.
The groups urged lawmakers to expeditiously harmonise the differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives on the Electoral Amendment Bill.
According to the civil society organisations, electronic transmission of election results should be compulsory rather than discretionary, stressing that certainty and clarity in the law are essential for credible and trustworthy elections.
They specifically advised the conference committee to retain the House of Representatives’ provision that mandates electronic transmission of results.
However, the groups cautioned against tying the law to a single technological platform, noting that referencing specific systems such as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal could create rigidity in the legislation. They argued that electoral technology continues to evolve and that the law should be flexible enough to accommodate innovation.
To address this concern, the organisations recommended a technology-neutral approach that makes electronic transmission of results a legal obligation, while allowing the electoral management body the flexibility to determine the most appropriate platforms for implementation.
The groups proposed an amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Bill to state that designated election officials “shall electronically transmit all election results in real time, including the number of accredited voters, directly from polling units and collation centres to a public portal.” They further suggested that electronically transmitted results should be used to verify outcomes before final collation.
Clarifying the concept of real-time transmission, the organisations explained that it refers to the electronic uploading of officially announced polling unit results immediately after counting, in the presence of party agents, observers and voters.
They noted that this approach would ensure that results declared at polling units are publicly available for verification before physical movement for collation, thereby enhancing transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.
The recommendations form part of broader submissions to the conference committee set up by the Senate and the House of Representatives to reconcile differences in their respective versions of the Electoral Bill.
The civil society groups urged the committee to prioritise legal certainty, institutional integrity and democratic accountability as it concludes work on the amendments, warning that credible elections depend largely on clear and enforceable electoral laws.