….Cuts election notice to 180 days, reduces candidates’ submission deadlines
Although the committee recommended an amendment to Section 60 of the Act to expressly mandate real-time transmission of results to the IREV portal, the provision was not adopted.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposed amendment that would have made the real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal mandatory, opting instead to retain the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The decision was taken during the consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill at the Committee of the Whole, which was subsequently passed for third reading.
Under the amendments adopted, the Senate reduced the election notice period from 360 days to 180 days before the end of the tenure of the incumbent administration. It also cut the deadline for political parties to submit their list of candidates from 120 days to 90 days before the election.
Similarly, the deadline for nomination of candidates by political parties was reduced from 180 days to 90 days.
Lawmakers rejected a proposal to impose a 10-year ban from political activities for vote buying and related electoral offences. However, they approved an increase in the fine for vote buying and unlawful possession of voters’ cards from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million.
The Senate also deleted the use of smart card readers and replaced them with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while retaining the provision for electronic transmission of election results as contained in the 2022 Act.
Although the committee recommended an amendment to Section 60 of the Act to expressly mandate real-time transmission of results to the IREV portal, the provision was not adopted. Instead, the Senate retained the existing 2022 version, which allows results to be transferred “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” without explicitly stating real-time transmission to IREV.
Reacting to reports that the Senate rejected electronic transmission of results, Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed the claims, insisting that electronic transmission remains part of the law.
“That is not true. What we did was to retain the electronic transmission that existed in the 2022 Act. Retaining that provision means electronic transmission remains part of our law,” Akpabio said, adding that it was in the interest of all election participants.
Similarly, Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu downplayed concerns over the absence of the phrase “real time” in the adopted provision.
“Who determines real-time? The issue of determination of real-time should not be based on semantics. It is going to be transmitted electronically to the people that are supposed to access it, which are the electorate,” he said.
Responding to claims that the provision leaves the decision to INEC’s discretion, Adaramodu stated:
“Once we have made it mandatory, it is no longer left in their hands… There is no difference between what is in the amendment recommendation and what was adopted.”
Another major amendment approved by the Senate is the introduction of mandatory reruns in cases where an election winner is disqualified for fraud. Under the new provision, INEC will conduct a fresh election excluding the disqualified candidate and party, instead of declaring the runner-up winner or allowing party substitution.
Akpabio also announced the constitution of a harmonisation committee to reconcile the Senate’s version of the bill with that passed by the House of Representatives. The committee will be chaired by Simon Lalong, with Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpeyong, Aminu Iya Abbas, Tokunbo Abiru, and Adeniyi Adegbomire as members.
He said the committee has been directed to conclude its work within one month to enable transmission of the final bill to the President for assent.
The Senate thereafter adjourned plenary to February 24 to allow lawmakers focus on the consideration of the 2026 budget.