They welcomed the reversal — then spotted the trap
A coalition of election observers and civic advocacy groups says the Senate’s revised stance on result uploads still contains an electronic transmission loophole that could undermine electoral integrity.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the groups criticised the clause that allows electronic transmission of polling unit results — but makes Form EC8A the primary source for collation and declaration in the event of internet failure. IDNN NEWS 12.02.26
A fallback clause with too much discretion
The organisations argue that while electronic transmission is intended to strengthen transparency, its value is weakened if the law permits a broad, undefined switch back to manual collation without strict triggers or verification steps.
They warned that the wording creates room for disputes over what constitutes “internet failure,” and how such failure would be confirmed before results revert to EC8A as the primary basis for declaration. IDNN NEWS 12.02.26
The coalition putting its name to it
The statement was signed by Yiaga Africa, Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Center, International Press Centre (IPC), ElectHER, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, and TAF Africa.
The groups said the clause signals an electoral setback and “weakens the safeguards” introduced in the 2022 Electoral Act reforms.
The House version is the battle line
The coalition urged the National Assembly’s harmonisation committee to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the amendment, which they say provides a clearer mandate on electronic transmission even in the face of network challenges.
The Senate has already constituted a committee to reconcile differences between its version and the House version before the bill is transmitted for assent.
This is where the law stops being theory
Harmonisation is the moment Nigeria quietly decides whether “technology reform” is a hard rule — or a flexible option.
Once the final language is locked into law, the argument will move from public debate to election-day execution. And where the text is vague, discretion expands — especially at the pressure point of collation. IDNN NEWS 12.02.26
If the wording survives, disputes will follow
If the “internet failure” threshold remains undefined, post-election conflict could shift from vote counting to procedural justification: who declared failure, on what evidence, and why.
That is the risk the coalition is flagging — that a loophole dressed as a contingency could become the new entry point for contested outcomes in 2027
This is IDNN. Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.
