A coalition of youth-focused non-governmental organisations under the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium has urged the National Assembly to adopt mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a joint statement signed by YERP-Naija partners across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, the group welcomed the Senate’s emergency sitting on February 10, 2026, to revisit Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and its eventual adoption of electronic transmission—after initially rejecting it last week.
The coalition, however, expressed disappointment that the Senate did not go as far as the House of Representatives, which passed a version mandating real-time transmission in December 2025.
“Nigerians overwhelmingly asked for mandatory electronic transmission of election results in real-time to address human interference and compromise of election collation processes,” the coalition said.
Their joint statement was signed by leaders including Bukola Idowu (Kimpact Development Initiative), Zigwai Ayuba (J-DEV Foundation), Abimbola Aladejare Salako (New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative), Nonso Orakwe (Catch Them Young Community Initiative), Israel Orekha (Connected Advocacy), and Ashraf Tukur (Child Protection and Peer Learning Initiative).
They warned that the Senate’s provision allowing a return to manual transmission when technology fails “opens a window for electoral fraud, posting that individuals or groups could deliberately cause connectivity issues to force manual collation.
The YERP-Naija said that internet coverage in Nigeria has improved significantly and that BVAS devices can timestamp uploads offline and transmit results automatically once network returns—providing verifiable proof of real-time submission.
They urged the Conference Committee—tasked with harmonising the two versions within one week for presidential assent by the end of February—to adopt the House of Representatives’ stricter version.
They said, “What Nigerians are asking for is not new,” the statement continued. “Professional groups such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) have also given expert opinions that mandatory transmission of election results in real-time can work during the 2027 elections.”
They also stressed the urgency of timely passage of the Electoral Act amendment and related constitutional changes to ensure credible elections and strengthen public confidence in the democratic process.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with lawmakers and stakeholders to promote transparency, credibility, and inclusive governance in Nigeria’s electoral system.
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