The Conference Committee of the National Assembly is under intense pressure today as lawmakers begin harmonization of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, with the contentious Clause 60(3) on electronic transmission of election results threatening to derail Nigeria’s electoral reforms ahead of 2027 .
At the heart of the dispute is the House of Representatives’ version mandating real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s IReV portal, versus the Senate’s position which removed explicit “real-time” language and introduced flexibility for manual backup when technology fails .
The 12-member Senate Conference Committee, chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong with members including Senators Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Abba Moro, faces mounting public pressure to accept the House’s clearer transparency safeguards .
Civil society groups have renewed their battle, with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Executive Director Comrade Auwal Rafsanjani warning that ambiguity in the law “opens opportunities for manipulation” .
“The excuse that there may be no network during elections does not hold water. What the Senate has done is to give with one hand and take with the other,” Rafsanjani told Sunday Vanguard .
Protesters had earlier stormed the National Assembly complex, with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatening nationwide industrial action and election boycotts if the final law fails to guarantee real-time uploads .
A senior INEC official, speaking anonymously, stressed that “electronic transmission enhances transparency” but noted that “operational realities, including connectivity challenges in certain terrains, must also be considered” .
Constitutional lawyer Mr. Nwafor Ikechukwu warned that the dual transmission model creates uncertainty: “If manual results contradict electronic uploads, which one prevails? That question must be settled in the law itself” .
As negotiations intensify, political analysts say the committee’s outcome will determine whether Nigerians approach the 2027 general elections with confidence or deepened cynicism about electoral integrity .
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