‘Dangerous insertions’: CSOs raise alarm over revised clause on e-transmission

A coalition of civil society organisations has expressed deep concern over the Senate’s revised Clause 60(3) on electronic transmission of election results.

They warned that embedded ambiguities could undermine electoral integrity.

At an emergency plenary on Tuesday, the Senate rescinded its earlier rejection of electronic transmission and adopted a revised provision permitting the electronic transmission of polling unit results.

Under the new clause, electronic transmission is mandated “as long as it does not fail,” while Form EC8A is designated as the primary source of election results.

The Senate also expanded its conference committee membership from six to twelve members to align with the House of Representatives.

In a statement jointly signed by the Centre for Media and Society, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa, the groups welcomed the Senate’s decision to reverse its earlier position, describing it as a positive response to sustained public advocacy.

However, they cautioned that critical insertions in the revised clause risk weakening the safeguards introduced in the 2022 Electoral Act.

The organisations described the conditional phrase “provided if it fails and it becomes impossible to transmit” as dangerously ambiguous.

According to them, the bill does not clearly define what constitutes failure, how such failure should be documented, or what verification mechanisms must be applied.

“In the absence of clear safeguards, this clause risks creating a loophole that could undermine the very purpose of electronic transmission,” the statement noted.

They warned that leaving room for discretion in results management could reopen avenues for manipulation between polling unit declaration and final collation.

The coalition also expressed concern over the designation of Form EC8A as the “primary source” of election results.

While acknowledging that polling unit results are legally significant, the groups argued that elevating Form EC8A without granting equal legal weight to electronically transmitted results could weaken transparency safeguards.

“If the electronic copy is not treated equally, its value as an accountability and verification mechanism could be diminished,” the statement stressed.

They maintained that electronic transmission is not symbolic reform but a structural safeguard designed to create an immediate, verifiable audit trail.

“Making it optional or conditionally applied weakens its deterrent effect,” the organisations said.

The civil society groups urged the Conference Committee of the National Assembly to adopt the House of Representatives’ provision on mandatory electronic transmission.

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 centers to a public portal and the transmitted result shall be used to verify any other result before it is collated.”

They also called for the adoption of the House’s approval for downloadable missing and unissued voter cards to prevent potential disenfranchisement.

On electoral timelines, the coalition strongly recommended retaining existing provisions in the 2022 Electoral Act and the House bill.

These include 360 days for notice of elections, 180 days for submission of candidate lists, and 150 days for publication of nominations by INEC.

The groups further demanded meaningful participation of civil society actors and technical experts in the conference committee deliberations.

According to them, Nigerians have consistently demonstrated their demand for transparent and credible elections.

They described the Senate’s reversal as proof that sustained civic pressure yields results, but insisted that vigilance remains critical.

“The details matter. The credibility of future elections depends on getting Clause 60(3) right,” the statement declared.

They called on Nigerians, civil society groups, the media, technology experts, political parties and citizens to remain engaged as the legislation moves through the conference process.

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