The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the National Assembly to approve an amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would make electronic transmission of election results mandatory from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

Legal Correspondence
At its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State, the NBA adopted a report presented by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN. The report criticized the Senate’s recent decision to reject a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which would have required presiding officers to transmit results in real time immediately after finalizing Form EC8A with party agents.

The NBA said the existing discretionary wording in the law — allowing results to be transferred “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission” — weakens legal certainty and creates loopholes that can be exploited, leading to manipulation, ambiguity, and post-election disputes.

The NEC resolved that the amendment should be passed to clearly compel electronic transmission, stressing that explicit statutory requirements are essential to safeguard electoral transparency, protect the integrity of votes cast, and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s elections.

The NBA further highlighted that credible elections are crucial for democratic governance, and urged lawmakers to show “legislative responsibility and statesmanship” by supporting the change.