Reps make U-turn, approve electronic, manual transmission of election results

The House of Representatives on Tuesday reversed part of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill it passed in December, particularly Section 60(3), introducing a dual system for transmitting election results.

The earlier provision mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from polling units to its Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, alongside physical collation of results.

However, the revised clause now states that presiding officers must electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal only after Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and, where available, countersigned by candidates or polling agents at the polling unit.

The amendment further provides that where electronic transmission fails due to communication challenges, the manually completed Form EC8A will serve as the primary document for result collation and declaration.

Following the passage of the new clause, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout from the chambers in protest.

The lawmakers, led by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, later addressed journalists at the House of Representatives Media Centre, where they rejected the amendment and described it, alongside other provisions, as anti-people.