Senate Retains Manual Backup for Election Results Amid Debate

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate voted to retain a manual backup for election results, rejecting Clause 60 of the Electoral Act Repeal and Re-enact Bill 2026. This decision came after a heated plenary session where 15 lawmakers, including Enyinnaya Abaribe from Abia South, opposed the controversial clause that aimed to facilitate electronic transmission of results without a manual fallback.

The Senate's decision was reached through a vote of 55 in favor of maintaining the manual backup, while 14 lawmakers, including Deputy Minority Leader Lere Oyewunmi, supported real-time electronic transmission. The session saw significant debate, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio reminding lawmakers of previous failed attempts to amend the bill.

Concerns were raised regarding the implications of the 2027 general elections, scheduled for February, and the potential impact on voter turnout during Ramadan. Despite the retention of the manual backup, the Senate did not make electronic transmission compulsory, leading to public criticism and protests from civil society groups.