The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the National Assembly to pass a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would make the electronic transmission of election results from polling units compulsory.

In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the NBA said its National Executive Council (NEC) adopted a report presented by the association’s President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), urging lawmakers to approve an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill.

The NEC, which met in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026, said the report underscored “the urgent need to mandate the electronic transmission of results to strengthen transparency and public confidence in elections.”

According to the NBA, the proposed amendment would require presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal immediately after Form EC8A has been duly signed, stamped and countersigned by party agents.

The association criticised the Senate’s decision to retain the existing wording of the Electoral Act, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” describing it as a provision that weakens the legal framework for transparent elections and creates room for manipulation and ambiguity.

The NBA warned that discretionary language in the law undermines democratic accountability, stressing that clear statutory compulsion is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency, protecting the integrity of votes cast and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

It added that credible elections remain “the bedrock of constitutional democracy” and called on lawmakers to demonstrate “legislative responsibility and statesmanship” by supporting the amendment mandating electronic transmission of results.

The association also reaffirmed its commitment to sustained engagement and advocacy to ensure Nigeria’s electoral laws reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot.

However, the Senate dismissed claims that it had removed the electronic transmission requirement from the law. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described such reports as misleading, insisting that the 2022 Electoral Act still mandates presiding officers to transmit results electronically.

“This is misleading. Electronic transmission has not been removed from the law. The provision under the 2022 Electoral Act remains in force, and presiding officers are still required to transmit results electronically as prescribed,” Akpabio said.

He added that retaining the current provision ensures legal and operational clarity while maintaining a secure and standardised process.

Similarly, the Senate Minority Caucus said lawmakers did not reject electronic transmission, noting that the Senate’s actions were aimed at safeguarding transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.