REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
Some residents of Anambra State have continued to react to the removal of real time upload of results in the Electoral Act Bill 2026 passed by the Nigerian Senate.
While some respondents described it as an unfortunate situation that may discourage many electorate from voting, others noted that the Senate as the representatives of the people knows what is best for their constituents.
The Senate last week passed the repealed Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill 2026, with the removal of a phrase, Real time missing in the approval for electronic transmission of results during elections.
This has continued to generate comments and reactions from some Nigerians who argue that the National Assembly did not meet with their expectations with the removal of the important clause.
One of them, Civil Society Prince Chris Azor Chairman Anambra State Civil Society Network, narrated that real time transmission of election results is vital for credible elections as it reduces opportunities for manipulation by making results immediately visible, time-stamped, and hard to alter.
According to him, the real time transmission of result strengthens transparency, public trust, and reduces post-election disputes.
Prince Azor while arguing that making it a legal requirement would guarantee stability said it was not proper leaving it to INEC’s discretion even as he explained that the Senate’s removal of the legal mandate weakens accountability and leaves vulnerabilities for manipulation, undermining public confidence and electoral integrity.
Another respondent who is a Legal Practitioner, Mr Joseph Aghanti from Ayamelum Local Government Area described the removal of the real time transmission as an unfortunate development that has shown that the Senators are concerned about their personal interest rather than doing what will benefit the people they claim to be representing.
Mr Aghanti wondered how students are subjected to writing online exams, banks operating POS across the country but the Senate was telling Nigerians that network issues was the only reason they removed the phrase.
Mrs Ugochi Ehieahuruike, the Executive Director for Social and Integral Development Centre, while observing that the situation has presented the nation as operating a one party system, regretted that many Nigerians had clamoured for the real time transmission of results as a game changer and improvement from what played out during the 2023 general elections.
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Okpara,
was of the view that Nigerians having sent 109 Senators to represent them their decisions are expected to provide directions and in the best interest of their constituents.
Mazi Ejimofor who believed that the Senate has done what they feel was in the best interest of the people, therefore called on those opposed to it to hold their Constituency representatives
accountable.
Mazi Ejimofor said maybe until the country was able to sort out in the most definite term the human angles and interferences that had to do with technology, it remains a better option to stick to the plan that is firmly under control in order not have an inexplicable situation that will plunge the nation into political turmoil.
However , the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has come out to clear the air by saying that the decision for the removal of the phrase, Real time was taken to avoid potential legal disputes arising from technical or network failures.
He added that the move was intended to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the flexibility to determine the most appropriate method of transmitting results, taking into account technological and security considerations.
