A coalition of youth-led civil society organizations has called on the National Assembly conference committee harmonizing the Electoral Act amendment bill to adopt the version passed by the House of Representatives, which mandates real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In a statement issued on recently in Abuja, the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium expressed cautious optimism over the Senate’s recent decision to approve electronic transmission of results but warned that a loophole in the Senate’s version could undermine the credibility of future elections.
The Senate, during an emergency sitting on Tuesday, revisited Clause 60(3) of the bill which governs how election results are transmitted and adopted electronic transmission after initially rejecting it last week. However, unlike the House of Representatives’ version, which requires real-time transmission, the Senate’s provision allows for a return to manual transfer in the event of technological failure.
YERP-Naija argued that this clause creates a vulnerability that could be exploited by those seeking to manipulate elections.
“Individuals or groups with intentions to manipulate elections could leverage this provision to fake or cause internet connectivity problems in order to revert to the untrustworthy manual transfer process,” the coalition warned.
The group noted that internet connectivity across Nigeria has improved significantly in recent years and that any existing dark spots can be addressed before the 2027 general elections. They also pointed out that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is capable of timestamping results for automatic upload once network coverage is restored, ensuring transparency even in areas with poor connectivity.
“Professional groups such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) have also given expert opinions that mandatory transmission of election results in real-time can work during the 2027 elections,” the statement added.
The coalition acknowledged the Senate’s decision to revisit the bill as a response to public pressure and commended the Senate President’s directive for the conference committee to conclude harmonization within a week, with a view to securing presidential assent by the end of February 2026.
“Accountable leaders listen to the people and consistently act in their best interest,” the group said.
YERP-Naija stressed that the outcome of the harmonization process would significantly impact public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and the legitimacy of future elections.
“The Electoral Act Amendment must ultimately strengthen, rather than weaken, the legal safeguards that protect the will of the electorate,” the statement read.
The consortium, which operates across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, has been at the forefront of advocacy for electoral reforms. Over the past two and a half years, it has participated in more than 25 National Assembly public hearings and held advocacy meetings with 171 federal and state legislators.
The statement was signed by the coalition’s partners representing the six geopolitical zones, including Bukola Idowu (North Central), Zigwai Ayuba (North-West), Abimbola Aladejare Salako (South-West), Nonso Orakwe (South East), Israel Orekh (South South), and Ashraf Tukur (North East).
The group reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance electoral reforms that promote transparency, credibility, and inclusive democratic governance in Nigeria.
