The Senate has rejected a proposal that would have made electronic transmission of election results compulsory in Nigeria. The decision followed deliberations on a suggested amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before lawmakers.

The proposed change sought to require presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload polling unit results directly to the IREV portal immediately after counting. This would have taken place once the result form was signed, stamped, and endorsed by party agents at the polling unit.

However, the Senate chose not to adopt the amendment. Instead, lawmakers agreed to keep the existing provision in the Electoral Act, which gives INEC the authority to decide how election results are transmitted from polling units.

Under the retained section of the law, presiding officers are only required to transfer results using methods approved by INEC. The decision means the commission will continue to determine whether results are sent electronically, manually, or through a combination of both during elections.