The Senate has approved the use of electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), in a move aimed at strengthening transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The resolution allows results from polling units to be transmitted electronically to the IReV platform, while also retaining manual collation as a fallback option in cases where technological challenges occur. Lawmakers noted that the dual approach would help address concerns about network failures, power issues and other logistical constraints that may arise during elections.
The decision followed deliberations on amendments to relevant sections of the Electoral Act, with senators emphasizing the need to balance technological innovation with practical realities across different parts of the country. According to the Senate, electronic transmission will reduce human interference in the collation process, while manual procedures will ensure that elections are not disrupted where digital tools are unavailable or malfunction.
The development has been welcomed by stakeholders who see it as a step toward improving public confidence in election outcomes, even as calls continue for INEC to strengthen its technical capacity and voter education ahead of future polls.