…..Nigeria’s legal community has fired a fresh salvo in the battle for credible elections.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association has urged the National Assembly to urgently reverse the Senate’s position and pass a crucial amendment compelling the electronic transmission of election results.
Meeting in Maiduguri on February 5, 2026, NEC adopted a strongly worded report presented by NBA President Max Afam Osigwe, condemning the Senate’s recent rejection of changes to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The rejected amendment would have made it mandatory for presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit polling unit results electronically — in real time — to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal immediately after Form EC8A is duly signed and authenticated.
Instead, the Senate opted to retain the existing discretionary wording of the Electoral Act, allowing results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” According to the NBA, that single phrase is a dangerous loophole.
NEC warned that discretion where clarity is required weakens transparency, opens the door to manipulation, and fuels post-election disputes that continue to undermine public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
“Credible elections are the backbone of constitutional democracy,” the Council stressed, adding that technology-driven transparency is no longer optional but essential in a modern state. Nigeria, it said, must align its electoral framework with global best practices.
The lawyers’ body called on lawmakers to rise above politics and demonstrate statesmanship by passing a clear, enforceable law that mandates electronic transmission of results from polling units.
As the 2027 political season edges closer, the NBA’s message is unmistakable:
without transparent results, democracy itself stands on shaky ground — and history will remember those who chose discretion over justice.
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