YERP-Naija Faults Senate over Electoral Act, Calls for Mandatory Electronic Transmission

YERP-Naija Faults Senate over Electoral Act, Calls for Mandatory Electronic Transmission

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Youth-led Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium has expressed disappointment over the Senate’s decision to reject a key amendment to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, warning that the move could weaken transparency and public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Consortium made its position known in a statement issued on Friday, following the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill at third reading during plenary on February 4, 2026.

YERP-Naija criticised the Senate for rejecting an amendment earlier passed by the House of Representatives in December 2025, which sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.

According to the group, the rejected amendment would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results directly from polling units immediately after voting and collation.

“The rejected amendment would have required presiding officers of INEC to electronically transmit results directly from polling units immediately after completion of voting and collation,” the Consortium stated.

Instead, the Senate retained the existing legal framework, which allows INEC to determine the mode of results transmission through administrative guidelines rather than a clear statutory obligation.

The statement was jointly signed by the Executive Director of Kimpact Development Initiative and YERP-Naija National Coordination and North Central Partner, Bukola Idowu; Executive Director of J-DEV Foundation, Kaduna, and YERP-Naija North-West Partner, Zigwai Ayuba; Executive Director of The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative, Ado Ekiti, and YERP-Naija South-West Partner, Abimbola Aladejare Salako; Executive Director of Catch Them Young Community Initiative, Awka, and YERP-Naija South-East Partner, Nonso Orakwe; Executive Director of Connected Advocacy, Edo, and YERP-Naija South-South Partner, Israel Orekha; and Executive Director of Child Protection and Peer Learning Initiative, Yola, and YERP-Naija North-East Partner, Ashraf Tukur.

The group said this decision weakens legal certainty and limits transparency safeguards needed to rebuild trust in the electoral process, especially among young voters.

“For many Nigerians, particularly young voters, mandatory electronic transmission represented a practical and visible pathway toward rebuilding trust in the electoral process,” YERP-Naija said.

While expressing concern, the Consortium noted that the Senate’s decision does not foreclose the issue, pointing to the upcoming harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives as another opportunity to revisit the matter.

“The forthcoming harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives presents an opportunity for reconsideration and alignment with broader stakeholder expectations,” the statement noted.

YERP-Naija called on the conference committee to reconcile differences between both chambers and restore reforms that would strengthen participation and trust in the 2027 general elections.

The Consortium also urged citizens, civil society organisations, labour unions, professional bodies, youth groups and the media to engage Senate leadership and lawmakers to reconsider and reverse the decision.

Beyond the immediate amendment, YERP-Naija expressed concern over delays in Nigeria’s broader electoral reform process, noting that while the Electoral Act amendment has taken more than two years, constitutional amendments with electoral implications have not progressed at the same pace.

“With time running out for preparations for the 2027 general elections, prolonged delays or diluted reforms risk limiting implementation effectiveness and weakening public confidence in the process,” it warned.

The group stressed that credible elections depend on transparent, predictable and enforceable legal standards, cautioning that reforms which preserve ambiguity or excessive administrative discretion could repeat challenges seen in previous elections.

“Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its democratic journey,” the Consortium stressed, adding that decisions taken during the current reform cycle would shape electoral credibility, political stability and citizen trust for years to come.