Deadlock at National Assembly as House Snubs Electoral Act Bill Meeting on E-Transmission Clause

Deadlock at National Assembly as House Snubs Electoral Act Bill Meeting on E-Transmission Clause

Tension escalated at the National Assembly on Monday after members of the House of Representatives failed to attend a joint conference committee meeting with the Senate aimed at harmonising the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026. The absence of House lawmakers stalled efforts to reconcile differences over Clause 60(3), which governs the electronic transmission of election results.

The session, initially scheduled for 11:00 a.m., did not proceed as senators waited in vain for their House counterparts. Later, senators reconvened at the office of Senator Simon Lalong, chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, but the stalemate persisted. A second attempt in the afternoon also failed, with only a few lawmakers present, leaving the harmonisation process in limbo.

At the core of the dispute is the mandatory electronic transmission of results from polling units. The House version requires real-time uploading of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV), while the Senate adopted a more cautious approach, allowing electronic transmission but making the physical result sheet (Form EC8A) the primary document where network challenges occur. Senators cited concerns about uneven internet coverage and power supply gaps, stressing the need for a pragmatic approach nationwide.

The disagreement comes less than a year before the February 20, 2027 general elections, rekindling debates over electoral credibility. Memories of the 2023 presidential election, when delays in IREV uploads triggered widespread criticism, legal disputes, and political tension, remain fresh. Analysts warn that failure to harmonise the law could undermine public confidence in future elections.

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Telecom operators have insisted that infrastructure is sufficient to support electronic transmission. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) highlighted that even basic 2G networks can reliably transmit results, while broadband penetration now exceeds 50 percent, with over 109 million active subscriptions nationwide. Experts say that transparency, system testing, and public trust will be crucial for the success of reforms ahead of 2027.

Civil society groups, including Situation Room Nigeria and Action Aid, have protested outside the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to adopt mandatory real-time electronic transmission to ensure transparency and minimise the risk of election manipulation. Youth and reform organisations also stress that allowing manual fallback options could reintroduce vulnerabilities that past reforms sought to eliminate.

The impasse highlights the importance of legal clarity and political will in safeguarding Nigeria’s electoral integrity. Observers note that beyond infrastructure, the cooperation of lawmakers, INEC, and security agencies will determine whether the next general election restores public trust or exacerbates existing doubts.

Deadlock at National Assembly as House Snubs Electoral Act Bill Meeting on E-Transmission Clause