Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reiterated his position amid continuing controversy over the Electoral Act amendment bill passed by the Senate earlier this week.

According to his clarification, senators rejected an amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have made immediate electronic upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal compulsory after presiding officers sign Form EC8A.

The Senate retained the existing provision from the 2022 law, which allows electronic transmission in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He explained that the Senate instead retained the existing wording from the 2022 Electoral Act, which permits electronic transmission in a MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission, leaving OPERATIONAL DETAILS such as timing and method to the commission.

Akpabio argues that legally enforcing strict real time transmission could expose elections to disputes if uploads are delayed by network failures, grid issues, or security disruptions.

He maintains the decision was intended to avoid legal ambiguity while keeping electronic transmission in the law.

The amendment bill is not yet law. It still requires concurrence from the House of Representatives and presidential assent.

Public scrutiny and debate over the implications of the wording change continue as the process moves forward.

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