Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has renewed calls on the National Assembly to urgently revisit and approve a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act that would make the electronic transmission of election results compulsory across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that the appeal followed the adoption of a report presented by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026.
In the report, the NBA expressed deep concern over the Senate’s recent decision to reject an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to compel presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal.
Under the rejected proposal, presiding officers would have been legally required to upload the results immediately after Form EC8A is duly completed, signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
However, the current provision allows results to be transmitted in a manner as prescribed by the Commission, a wording the NBA described as vague and open to abuse.
According to the council, this discretionary clause weakens the legal safeguards needed to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
NBA warned that such ambiguity creates opportunities for manipulation, delays, misinterpretation, and post-election disputes, which have historically contributed to widespread public distrust in Nigeria’s elections.
In adopting Osigwe’s report, the NEC resolved that lawmakers should urgently amend Clause 60(3) to clearly mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units.
The council stressed that a clear statutory obligation, rather than optional guidelines, is critical to protecting the integrity of votes, ensuring real-time public access to results, and reducing the incidence of electoral malpractice.
NBA further noted that electronic transmission has become a global best practice, widely adopted in modern democracies to promote transparency, efficiency, and credibility.
It noted that Nigeria’s continued hesitation to fully enforce technology-driven electoral reforms places the country behind international standards and weakens democratic accountability.
“Technology-backed transparency is no longer optional in a modern democracy,” the council stated, urging Nigeria to align its electoral framework with global norms that prioritise openness, speed, and accuracy in result management.
The association also highlighted that credible elections are the foundation of democratic governance and political stability, warning that resistance to enforceable electronic transmission measures undermines public confidence and weakens the legitimacy of elected leaders.
NBA concluded by calling on members of the National Assembly to show legislative responsibility and statesmanship by supporting the amendment in the national interest.
It reaffirmed its commitment to sustained advocacy, legal engagement, and public sensitisation to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral laws clearly reflect the will of the people as expressed through the ballot.
