The Nigerian Senate has endorsed the electronic transmission of election results while retaining manual collation as an alternative backup in the proposed Electoral Act amendment.
The decision followed a tense plenary session marked by sharp disagreements over Clause 60 of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, which addresses the transmission and collation of election results.
During a formal division on the floor, 55 senators voted in favour of keeping the manual backup provision, while Enyinnaya Abaribe and 14 others opposed it.
The chamber had earlier passed the bill but later rescinded its decision and recommitted it to the Committee of the Whole after fresh concerns emerged, prompting renewed debate when plenary resumed on Tuesday.
The session was dominated by arguments over the controversial clause, with Abaribe insisting on a division to determine the Senate’s final position, a move that triggered a heated exchange among lawmakers.
Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, reminded colleagues that a similar attempt to revisit the clause had been withdrawn during an earlier emergency sitting, noting that the episode had attracted public commentary on social media.
Opposition senators, however, maintained that the matter was properly before the chamber and warranted full consideration.
The resolution means the bill, if eventually passed into law, would allow the continued use of electronic transmission of results while preserving manual collation as a safeguard in Nigeria’s electoral process.