Senate amends Electoral Act to allow manual election result transmission
The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to permit manual transmission of election results from polling units to INEC's Result Viewing Portal (IReV) when electronic transmission fails, reversing its earlier mandate for real-time electronic results. Former INEC Commissioner Mike Igini warns this loophole could enable election rigging, citing historical patterns where manipulated results ousted incumbents denied re-election tickets. Igini's analysis shows 77% turnover in the current Senate and 70% in the House, attributing this to manipulable collation processes. He argues real-time electronic transmission is essential for democratic integrity and legislators' re-election, noting Nigeria's 97% network coverage makes technical excuses specious. Igini urges the National Assembly to restore mandatory electronic transmission and calls on the judiciary to uphold INEC's regulatory authority.