The Nigerian Bar Association has called on the National Assembly to urgently pass a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that would make electronic transmission of election results compulsory from polling units nationwide. The association said the move is critical to strengthening transparency and restoring public confidence in Nigeria electoral process.
In a statement shared on X formerly Twitter the National Executive Council of the NBA said it adopted a report presented by its President Afam Osigwe SAN during its meeting held in Maiduguri Borno State on February 5 2026. The council noted that the report highlighted the urgent need to amend Clause 60 Subsection 3 of the bill to clearly mandate electronic transmission of election results.
The NBA explained that the proposed amendment would require presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit election results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing portal immediately after Form EC8A has been duly signed stamped and countersigned by party agents. According to the association this step would reduce the risk of manipulation and eliminate ambiguity in result collation.
The council criticised the Senate decision to retain the existing wording of the Electoral Act which allows results to be transmitted in a manner prescribed by the Commission. It warned that such discretionary phrasing weakens the legal foundation for transparent elections and undermines democratic accountability.
The NBA stressed that clear statutory compulsion is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency protecting the integrity of votes cast and restoring public trust. It added that credible elections remain the bedrock of constitutional democracy and urged lawmakers to vote in favour of the amendment.
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