Nigeria’s Senate has passed the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill after weeks of debate, but lawmakers rejected a proposal that would have made real time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
During Tuesday’s plenary in Abuja, senators voted down Clause 60 of the bill, which sought to require instant electronic transmission of results from polling units. Instead, they kept the existing provision that allows the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to decide how votes are counted and transmitted.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio pushed back against claims that electronic transmission had been scrapped. He said the current law already provides for it and was successfully used in the 2022 elections. Lawmakers also rejected a proposal that would have allowed voters to replace missing Permanent Voter Cards by downloading them online.
The Senate removed a clause proposing a 10 year ban for people convicted of buying or selling voter cards, calling the punishment too harsh. However, it approved a ₦5 million fine and a two year jail term for offenders. Senators also agreed to shorten the deadline for future amendments to the Electoral Act from 360 days to 180 days before an election.
On voting procedures, the chamber retained the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, for accreditation and confirmed the Permanent Voter Card as the only valid form of voter identification. Political parties were also given the freedom to choose their method of primaries in line with their internal rules.
Akpabio denied suggestions that the Senate deliberately delayed the amendment process, saying lawmakers wanted to ensure a thorough review. The bill will now be harmonised with the version passed by the House of Representatives before it is sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
