Nigerian Senate Debates Real-Time Electronic Election Result Transmission Proposal

The Nigerian Senate is deliberating on a proposal to require the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit election results in real-time for the 2027 general elections. The proposal seeks to amend the Electoral Act to mandate direct transmission of results from polling units to the INEC result viewing portal, iRev, to ensure immediate vote counting and transparency.

The Senate committee's report includes provisions to curb result manipulation, address ballot box snatching, and introduce stiffer penalties for offenses like selling voter cards. The proposed amendments also involve enhancing the electoral technology by replacing smart card readers with the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVA) and introducing measures to protect the secrecy of votes.

The Senate is set to finalize the debate on the report, which is expected to significantly reform Nigeria's electoral framework.