The Senate on Tuesday amended Clause 60 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to allow both electronic and manual transmission of election results, bowing to sustained public pressure and nationwide protests.

The decision was taken during plenary after lawmakers reviewed recommendations aimed at addressing concerns raised by Nigerians over attempts to limit electronic transmission.

Findings by POLITICS NIGERIA show that the amended clause mandates presiding officers at polling units to electronically transmit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

However, where electronic transmission fails due to network or communication challenges, the manually completed result sheet, Form EC8A, will serve as the primary source for result collation.

The move follows weeks of protests at the National Assembly, with civil society groups and citizens insisting that electronic transmission of results is key to curbing electoral fraud and restoring confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.