Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the National Assembly’s decision to remove the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from the amended Electoral Act, citing poor network coverage and insecurity in parts of the country as major hurdles.
Speaking on Sunday in Abuja during the launch of former senator Effiong Bob’s book, The Burdens of Legislators in Nigeria, Akpabio dismissed criticisms of the Senate’s move, arguing that the responsibility for election technology lies solely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Last week, the Senate expunged the clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of results, a decision that sparked backlash from opposition parties, civil society organisations, and the Nigerian Bar Association, who urged lawmakers to reverse the amendment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Real-time transmission means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results,” Akpabio said. “Nationally, it also means that if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid.”
He further stressed that the Senate’s role is limited to lawmaking, and not the deployment of technology.
“The Senate does not conduct elections, we don’t deploy technology, we only make laws. INEC must apply the law. The timing, scope, and modality of elections rest with INEC, acting within the framework of the law enacted by parliament and interpreted by the Supreme Court,” he said.
Akpabio also took aim at critics of the amendment, noting that many lacked understanding of legislative processes and the practical realities of conducting elections in challenging security and infrastructural conditions.
Despite his defence, the Senate’s decision continues to generate nationwide debate, with critics warning that removing mandatory e-transmission could weaken transparency and undermine public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.
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