Electronic transmission of results: Senate’s decision is self serving towards one party state – Afenifere

By Dapo Akinrefon 

The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Friday, took a swipe at the Senate for rejecting the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results and digital voter identification.

Afenifere, in a statement by its Leader and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Prince Justice Faloye, Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, described the Senate’s decision as betrayal of constitutionalism and multiparty democracy.

On February 4, 2026, the upper chamber passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026.

Reacting to rejection of the mandatory electronic transmission of results, the Yoruba body said: “This is tantamount to a betrayal of constitutionalism and multiparty democracy, as it prioritizes political incumbency over democratic integrity. This decision is obviously self serving and a move towards one party state, teleguided by the executive as witnessed over the years in Lagos State. 

“It is an assault on national conscience* – Afenifere is astounded by the Nigerian Senate decision to reject key amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, including mandatory electronic transmission of results and downloadable electronic voters’ cards with QR codes. This move, ahead of the 2027 elections, perpetuates manual processes prone to manipulation and undermining electoral credibility. By retaining discretionary language that allows INEC to “prescribe the manner” of transfer, the Senate preserves the ability to rig through manual collation loopholes that have historically enabled result manipulation and post-election disputes.

“While the Senate claims electronic transmission is “still allowed” under existing law, the Supreme Court previously ruled that such transmission is not mandatory because it is not explicitly provided for in the Electoral Act 2022. By refusing to codify it as a legal requirement in the 2026 Bill, the Senate intentionally leaves the process vulnerable to administrative “glitches” or selective non-compliance, undermining the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution’s call for free and fair elections.

“Section 78 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to legislate for credible federal elections. Unfortunately, the Senate has subverted the mandatory transparency by rejecting an amendment to Clause 60(3) which would have legally compelled INEC to transmit results from polling units to the IReV portal in real-time. By rejecting mandatory electronic transmission, the Senate fails to advance constitutional imperatives for fair elections, allowing potential interference that contravene the spirit of democratic governance and equal suffrage under Sections 117-119. The rejection of Clause 47, which sought to allow downloadable electronic voter cards with QR codes, forces a continued reliance on physical Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). This decision disenfranchises voters who may lose their physical cards and ignores modern digital identification advancements, directly contradicting the goal of making elections more accessible.

“Globally, from the USA to the newest democracies like Estonia that became democratic after Nigeria, there is end-to-end verifiability in electronic systems to ensure integrity and auditability, so why not Nigeria? Countries such as Estonia implement secure internet voting with universal verifiability, reducing manipulation risks. The Nigerian Senate, by keeping transmission optional, lags behind these standards, fostering opacity instead of trust. 

“Afenifere calls on the Joint committee setup to harmonize the different House of Representatives and Senate versions, to let democracy survive by accepting mandatory real time electronic transmission of election results from polling booths to iRev. Otherwise the legislature will be sending clear signals that it is not yet ready to fully embrace a credible, technology-driven electoral framework for the 2027 General Elections. Afenifere cautions that care has to be taken not to completely lose peoples trust in the current democratic disposition. Let democracy breathe.”

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