Civil society organisations have warned that loopholes in the Senate’s revised Electoral Bill could weaken electoral integrity.
This warning comes despite the chamber’s decision to restore electronic transmission of results.
The group’s concern followed the Senate’s emergency plenary session, where lawmakers rescinded their earlier rejection of mandatory electronic transmission.
Senate Reverses Earlier Position
The Senate adopted a revised Clause 60(3). The clause permits electronic transmission of results from polling units.
However, the Senate made the provision conditional. The clause mandates electronic transmission only “as long as it does not fail.” It also designates Form EC8A as the primary source of election results.
Meanwhile, the Senate expanded its conference committee membership. Lawmakers increased the number from six to 12 members to align with the House of Representatives.
CSOs Welcome Reversal, Raise Red Flags
The civil society organisations — Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa — welcomed the Senate’s reversal.
However, the groups raised serious concerns about certain insertions in the revised clause.
They warned that the changes could undermine the core purpose of electronic transmission.
‘Failure’ Clause Creates Ambiguity
Specifically, the groups faulted the conditional language linked to system failure.
They said the phrase “provided if it fails and it becomes impossible to transmit” introduces dangerous discretion into the results management process.
“The bill does not define what constitutes failure. It does not explain how officials should document such failure. It also lacks verification mechanisms,” the statement said.
CSOs warned that the clause could create a major loophole. They said such a loophole could defeat the purpose of electronic transmission.
Concerns Over Hierarchy of Results
The organisations also questioned the decision to designate Form EC8A as the “primary source” of election results.
They acknowledged the legal importance of polling unit results. However, they warned that prioritising the physical form could weaken the legal strength of electronically transmitted results.
“If the electronic copy is not treated equally, its value as a transparency safeguard could be diminished,” they said.
Electronic Transmission Remains Critical
The groups stressed that electronic transmission is not a symbolic reform.
They described it as a structural safeguard against result manipulation.
According to them, it helps prevent tampering between polling unit declaration and collation.
The CSOs said the system also creates an immediate and verifiable audit trail.
However, they noted that making the process optional or conditional weakens its deterrent value.
Demands to Conference Committee
Consequently, the organisations urged the National Assembly’s Conference Committee to adopt the House of Representatives’ position on mandatory electronic transmission, with modifications.
They recommended that “the designated election official shall electronically transmit all election results in real time, including the number of accredited voters, directly from the polling units and collation centres to a public portal.”
They added that officials should use the transmitted results to verify all other results before collation.
The groups also urged lawmakers to adopt the House’s approval of downloadable missing and unissued voter cards. They said the measure would prevent voter disenfranchisement.
Furthermore, they demanded meaningful participation from civil society and technical experts during committee deliberations.
Call for Vigilance
The organisations said sustained civic advocacy forced the Senate to reverse its earlier position.
However, they warned that the legislative process remains incomplete.
“The details matter. The credibility of future elections depends on getting this right,” they said.
They urged civil society groups, the media, technology experts, political parties and citizens to remain vigilant as lawmakers harmonise the bill.
