‎The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, leaving safeguards to address potential technical challenges.
‎The decision followed the upper chamber’s move on Tuesday to rescind its earlier position, which had rejected the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
‎Following the new amendment, the Senate approved electronic transmission (without the real time phrase) as part of the electoral process but stipulated that where internet connectivity failed, the Form EC8A will remain the primary instrument for result collation.
‎Under the proposal, electronic transmission would serve as the primary method of uploading results.
‎The proposal, however, sparked concerns among lawmakers, particularly over the reliance on Form EC8A as the primary source of election results, where disputes arise.
Edited by Favour Owonibi.