Protests are spreading across Nigeria after opposition parties, civil society groups, and labour unions accused members of the National Assembly of undermining democracy by rejecting a proposal to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

The controversy began during debates on proposed amendments to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, when lawmakers voted against a clause that would have required results to be transmitted electronically from polling units to a central, publicly accessible system.

The clause at the centre of the dispute is Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill.

The proposed provision states that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time,” after signing and stamping the prescribed Form EC8A, and after it has been countersigned by candidates or polling unit agents where available.

The wording makes electronic transmission compulsory, requires it to happen in real time, and links it directly to the IReV portal. Form EC8A is the official form used to record votes at the polling unit level.

However, the Senate rejected the proposal and instead adopted Section 60(5) of the existing Electoral Act 2022, which states that the presiding officer “shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in the manner prescribed by the Commission.”

Supporters of the Senate’s position argue that many communities across the country do not have reliable internet access, which could make real-time electronic transmission difficult in some areas.