By, Theophilus Chibuzo Oliver.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has declared her support for the electronic transmission of election results. The senator made this known via her Facebook page on Thursday, 5 February 2025.
According to the senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, she stated: “I, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, support the real-time electronic transmission of results. Failure to do so constitutes a lethal assault on Nigeria’s democracy.”
Her statement follows the Senate’s rejection of a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) mandatory. The proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, which would have compelled presiding officers to upload results in real time, was not approved.
Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision of the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows electronic transmission of results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission” (INEC), without making real-time upload a strict legal requirement.
This decision sparked significant controversy, public outrage, and accusations from opposition figures, civil society groups, activists, and political parties, who viewed it as a setback to transparency, a regression in electoral integrity, and a move that could potentially enable manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Senate, including the Senate President, has since clarified that it did not reject electronic transmission outright. According to the clarification, electronic upload of results remains permitted under the law; however, the push for mandatory real-time transmission was declined, contrary to widespread media reports and public expectations for more robust electoral reforms.
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