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Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, said on Monday that the Senate could make public the votes and proceedings on the electronic transmission of election results, as controversy continues to surround the recently amended Electoral Act.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ningi indicated that transparency on individual senators’ votes was possible, depending on the presiding officer of the upper legislative chamber. “You can stand up and say, ‘I, Ningi, I accept e-transmission in real time.’ I sit down. It’s recorded for every other senator, and that is the only way we need to move forward,” he said.
Ningi’s comments came ahead of an emergency Senate plenary scheduled for Tuesday, convened to address disputes over the electronic transmission of results following the third reading of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026. The debate has centred on whether presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should transmit polling unit results electronically in real time.
“One thing that is very important is that the votes and proceedings have not been captured. So tomorrow, we need to look at what the votes and proceedings captured are. Is it a transfer? There was a motion for amendment by Manguno, and then the question was put. Who asked the question? Why was the question raised? Was it discussed?” Ningi said, referring to the motion for mandatory real-time transmission of results that was ultimately rejected.
He suggested that clearer guidance from Senate leadership could have helped reduce confusion. “One of the reasons why maybe people are not so happy is that the Senate President should have asked us as a committee, ‘Please, educate us on this issue that this Moguna has raised,’” Ningi added.
Read also: Ezekwesili, Falana Frown At Rejection Of Electronic Transmission
The senator also emphasised that the issue is not partisan. “I’m here, and I’m telling you with all sense of responsibility that this is not a party thing. It has never been seen as a party thing up to the moment we went into the committee of the whole,” he said. Ningi said that, in his view, 98% of senators supported the submission made by the House of Representatives on the matter.
The upper chamber has faced criticism since February 4, 2026, when it passed the amendment bill through the third reading without adopting the proposed Clause 60, Subsection 3, which sought to mandate real-time electronic transmission.
Under the rejected provision, presiding officers would have transmitted results from each polling unit to INEC’s IREV portal immediately after completing the prescribed Form EC&A, signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates.
Read further: Senate Didn’t Reject Electronic Transmission Of Results – Akpabio
Instead, the Senate retained the existing language, which requires results to be “transferred in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” Senate President Godswill Akpabio, speaking at a book launch over the weekend, clarified that electronic transmission remains allowed, but the phrase “real time” was removed to account for potential network failures. “If you say real-time, then there is a network or grid failure, and the network is not working, when you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said,” he said.
The decision has prompted public protests, with demonstrators gathering at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday. Among the protesters was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, who insisted that lawmakers specify “real-time electronic transmission” in the bill to ensure immediate reporting of election results. Placards displayed at the demonstration called for transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
The protest highlights ongoing tensions over electoral reforms in Nigeria, as stakeholders weigh the balance between technology-driven transparency and practical implementation challenges.
Civil society groups, opposition parties, and election observers have repeatedly emphasised the potential of real-time result transmission to reduce delays and allegations of manipulation in elections.
Meanwhile, Ningi suggested that some criticisms of the Senate may have been unfair. “I feel so sad and outraged myself when I see the condemnation across this country condemning the Senate in its entirety. And that’s why for us, we need to tell the story,” he said, adding that the amendment received submissions from both ruling and opposition party officials. “APC governors have presented their submission, PDP… and they are all saying e-transmission.”
The Senate’s emergency session on Tuesday is expected to review the votes and proceedings, including whether the motions and amendments were correctly documented and implemented.
Observers say that publicising the votes could provide clarity on the positions of individual senators and help address concerns about transparency.
It ws also noted that the Electoral Act 2022 forms the legal framework for Nigeria’s election administration, including procedures for vote collection, collation, and transmission. Amendments to the Act are closely watched for their implications on election credibility, technological integration, and dispute resolution.
As discussions continue, the upper chamber faces pressure to reconcile legal provisions with public expectations for immediate, transparent results, while balancing logistical realities of nationwide elections. Both the Senate and INEC have stressed the need for adherence to existing regulations, with technical adjustments considered as complementary rather than compulsory.
Attention currently remains on the Senate’s plenary on Tuesday, which could include clarifications on the status of individual senators’ votes, further procedural explanations, and potential revisions to the wording on electronic transmission. Lawmakers and civil society representatives say the outcome may influence public confidence in the legislative process and the management of forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
