Nigerian Senate Rules Out Real-Time Election Results, Maintains Manual Ballot Counting

The Nigerian Senate has ruled out the possibility of implementing a full electronic voting system for the 2027 general elections, stating that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not equipped for e-voting due to technical and logistical limitations. Senate Chairman Adeniyi Adegbonmire clarified that while there is ongoing legislative amendment, the move is not towards e-voting but rather to enhance transparency in the electoral process.

The Senate supports the physical counting of votes while allowing for the electronic transmission of results. The Senate's decision follows public outcry and the formal approval of electronic result transmission in the 2026 Electoral Bill.

However, the lawmakers have included fallback provisions to allow manual collation in case of technological failures. The goal is to present a unified bill for President Bola Tinubu's assent by the end of February 2026.