Electronic result transmission still stands in electoral reform bill – Senator Kingibe

Ireti Kingibe, the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory and a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, has sought to calm public concern over the Electoral Amendment Bill, insisting that core reforms — including electronic transmission of election results — remain firmly in place.

Her clarification follows criticism from major opposition parties after the Senate declined to adopt a proposed amendment to Clause 70(3) that would have made electronic transmission of results explicitly mandatory in the bill.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, Kingibe said the National Assembly’s work on electoral reform was neither rushed nor superficial. She described a two-year process, spanning 2024 and 2025, that involved public hearings, policy retreats, and consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society groups.

According to her, the reform package produced from that process rests on three clear pillars:

• mandatory electronic transmission and real-time upload of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV);
• formal recognition of the three modes of party primaries — direct, indirect and consensus; and
• clearly defined electoral timelines to support orderly and credible polls.

Kingibe said the report was later reviewed by an ad hoc Senate committee, which largely endorsed its substance.

“When this report was presented to the Senate, an ad hoc committee was constituted to review it,” she said. “The committee’s recommendations were largely aligned with the original report. Notably, about 85 percent of senators supported the electronic transmission of election results.”

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She expressed concern over claims that the Senate had abandoned the reform or reverted entirely to the 2022 Electoral Act. Drawing a distinction between the old law and the proposed amendments, Kingibe said the committees deliberately strengthened the language on technology.

“While the 2022 Act used the term ‘transfer’ of results, the committees, after careful deliberation, specifically recommended that the commission shall electronically transmit results and upload them to IREV in real time,” she said, adding that the changes are documented and awaiting harmonisation.

Earlier, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate president, had explained that the upper chamber did not reject electronic transmission outright. Rather, he said the Senate retained the existing provision that allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the commission”.

Kingibe noted that this apparent discrepancy reflects the ongoing harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives. She said a correspondence committee has already been set up to reconcile both versions of the bill into a single final draft.

Emphasising that the reforms are intended to deepen public trust in elections, Kingibe urged Nigerians to stay engaged rather than alarmed.

“We are your representatives. We are your voice,” she said. “Your will must shape the laws that govern you.”