Tension As NASS Committee Meets Over Election Result Transmission

Tension is heightened in the National Assembly as members of the 24-man Conference Committee from both chambers, today (Monday), move to adopt a harmonised position on the contentious method of transmitting election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

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The committee, comprising 12 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives, is expected to finalise its position on Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, a clause that sparked uproar and forced the Senate to hold an emergency session last week.

Ahead of the meeting, intense lobbying was said to be ongoing, with strong indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls both chambers, is backing the Senate’s version of the amendment.

Findings by Vanguard in Abuja suggested that the adoption of the Senate’s version, which provides for both electronic and manual transmission of results, is being vigorously pursued by the ruling party.

The Senate version removes the “real-time” requirement and allows presiding officers to transmit results electronically, while designating manual Form EC8A as the primary source in the event of communication failure.

In contrast, the House version mandates real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the IReV portal, a provision civil society groups and opposition parties say would significantly reduce manipulation.

Critics have raised concerns that the Senate’s position could weaken electoral transparency.

Former Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Peter Ameh, described the Senate’s revision as inadequate.

He said, “The recent revision by the Nigerian Senate to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which now permits the electronic transmission of election results from each polling unit only ‘provided the system does not fail,’ represents nothing more than cosmetic tinkering with the existing law.

“There is no meaningful difference between this so-called ‘revised’ clause and the previous ambiguous provision.

“The Senate has merely introduced a conditional escape hatch that guarantees continued confusion, manipulation and distrust in our electoral process.”

Dickson, Natasha Back House Position

Senator Seriake Dickson has publicly thrown his weight behind the House version of Section 60(3).

Addressing journalists in Abuja last week, Dickson urged members of the conference committee to adopt the House’s position.

“You should go into that conference and adopt the House version. You should adopt the House version in its entirety,” he said.

According to him, the House’s proposal reflects the consensus earlier reached by joint committees of the National Assembly, consultants and INEC.

“That version was what the joint committees and all of us, consultants and even INEC itself, assured us at the community interaction level of their capacity to transmit electronically,” he stated.

Describing the clause as “a very crucial clause,” Dickson lamented that what was earlier agreed upon “was rejected and instead a similar clause with less potency and clarity in the previous law was brought back.”

Similarly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan stressed the importance of real-time transmission.

“Real-time electronic transmission of election results is a critical step toward deepening transparency, preserving the sanctity of the people’s mandate and restoring public confidence in our electoral process,” she said.

“Our democracy must continue to evolve with systems that ensure every vote truly counts and every voice is faithfully represented.”

Majority To Have Its Way?

Despite opposition resistance, insiders say the APC leadership is determined to ensure that the Senate’s version prevails.

A member of the harmonisation committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We are in a democracy and in accordance with the dictates of this game, the minority will definitely have their say but the majority, as always, will have their way.

“Both chambers are controlled by the APC. Whichever version is chosen at the end of the day must enjoy the buy-in of our party before it becomes law. Let me put it on record, our party is not afraid of any political contest, we are sure we have performed and we will win in 2027.”

With what played out in the Senate on Tuesday, it was a signal to the fact that the APC wants that of the Senate to be adopted, using its numerical strength at the Upper Chamber, just as at the moment, the APC has 80; PDP 21; NNPP 1; APGA 1; LP 2 and ADC 1 and with the composition of the Senate conference committee, using loyalty to the position of the party, the ruling party will win as, out of twelve, it has nine members as against the opposition’s three.

It is very clear that the ruling party in Nigeria and with the body language of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Senator Jubrin Barau, the Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; the whip, Senator Tahir Monguno and others, are carrying out the position of the Senate and that is the direction majority of members of the committee in the Senate will push.

In this case, the opposition parties in the Senate will only have their voices heard because the majority will surely have its way for transmission not mandatory and to remove real time with the excuse by the APC of no network connection, while the opposition is saying it’s not the position of the people.

The question is why is APC adopting online party validation/registration of members, while it is seemingly opposed to real time e-transmission of results?

Although the APC holds majority seats in both chambers, several of its lawmakers have defended the Senate’s more flexible framework.

A member of APC in the House, who on condition of anonymity, stated that the law must reflect Nigeria’s infrastructural realities, saying “we cannot legislate technology beyond our capacity. There are polling units where network connectivity is nonexistent. If you make real-time upload compulsory and it fails due to poor signal, do you void the election in that polling unit? We must be practical.”

Similarly, a senior APC member of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Musa Adamu (APC, Kano) who noted that granting INEC discretion didn’t mean abandoning transparency, said, “Electronic transmission is not being removed. What we are saying is that INEC, as the implementing body, should determine how best to deploy technology without creating legal landmines.

“We do not want a situation where technical glitches become grounds to overturn legitimate votes. Managing party membership data and conducting a nationwide general election are not the same.

“One is internal administration; the other is a constitutional exercise involving 176,000 polling units. The scale and risks are different.”

APC lawmakers also dismissed accusations of double standards over the party’s embrace of online membership registration while hesitating on mandatory real-time result uploads.

Opposition Insists On Mandatory Real-Time Uploads

Lawmakers elected on the platform of the oppostion parties, have taken a different stance, insisting that only mandatory real-time electronic transmission could guarantee electoral credibility.

Naija News reports that Chinedu Okafor of Labour Party (LP), in his reaction to the development warned that flexibility could be misinterpreted, said, “Every time you leave something to discretion, the public becomes suspicious. Make it mandatory. Where there is no network, provide satellite backup. Democracy must not depend on convenience.”

INEC officials have consistently maintained that the commission was committed to technological innovation which required clear legislative backing and adequate funding.

An APC member in the House of Representatives familiar with the negotiations, said the harmonisation committee might explore a compromise.

He said, “One option being discussed is mandatory upload where network exists, with clearly defined fallback procedures where it does not. The goal is to protect transparency without creating chaos.”

As the conference committee convenes, three possible outcomes loom: Adoption of the House’s strict real-time clause; endorsement of the Senate’s discretionary model; or a compromise, blending both approaches.

Whichever path lawmakers choose, the decision will shape not only the 2027 electoral framework but also public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.

At the end of Monday’s deliberations, Nigerians may have a clearer sense of whether reform will be anchored on transparency or tempered by political caution.