CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission
The Centre for Information Technology and Development has fired a fresh shot in Nigeria’s growing electoral reform debate, as CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, calling the decision a step backward at a time many democracies are tightening transparency through technology.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 5, 2026, CITAD’s Executive Director, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, said the Senate’s refusal to make real-time electronic transmission compulsory risks weakening trust in the process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The issue sits at the centre of Nigeria’s post-2023 arguments: should results move instantly from polling units to a central electronic platform in a way that citizens can track, or should the law continue to leave the method and timing largely to INEC’s discretion?
That is the argument behind today’s headline: CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission.
What the Senate changed, and what it says it kept
Multiple reports on the Senate’s clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 say lawmakers declined a proposed amendment that would have made electronic transmission of results mandatory, often framed as a push to compel real-time transmission from polling units.
But the Senate leadership also argued that it did not remove electronic transmission entirely. Channels Television reported Senate President Godswill Akpabio saying lawmakers retained the existing provision that already allows electronic transmission, with the process prescribed by INEC.
NAN similarly reported that the Senate passed the bill after clause-by-clause consideration and that the chamber retained the electronic transmission framework as contained in the existing law, while also amending other areas such as penalties and timelines.
This distinction is important: CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission not because e-transmission is mentioned nowhere in the bill, but because the Senate reportedly refused to hard-wire a compulsory, real-time requirement into the statute,CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission.
Why CITAD says the decision is a problem
CITAD’s argument, as reported, is direct: a democracy that has struggled with result disputes and allegations of manipulation should not weaken the push for transparent technology. In CITAD’s view, leaving too much discretion in the hands of institutions and operators can reopen old loopholes, especially in flashpoint states and tightly contested races.
Daily Post reported CITAD warning that public confidence is at risk and that voter apathy could deepen if transparency is not guaranteed.
So when CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission, the fear is not theoretical. It is rooted in Nigeria’s lived elections: delayed uploads, contested figures, and courtroom battles that start the minute results travel from polling unit to collation centre.
https://ogelenews.ng/citad-condemns-senate-rejecting-mandatory-e-transmi..
The politics around “mandatory”
The Senate’s position, as reflected in reports, is that a rigid “mandatory real-time” clause could be impractical in areas with weak network coverage and could create legal crises where technology fails. Supporters of discretion often argue that INEC should retain flexibility to prescribe methods based on feasibility.
But reform advocates respond that “flexibility” too easily becomes an excuse, and that Nigeria’s trust deficit requires rules that are not negotiable on election night.
That is why CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission has become a rallying headline for civil society and reform-minded political actors.
What else is inside the amendment bill
Even as the fight over transmission dominates attention, reports on the bill note that the Senate considered multiple changes, including election timelines and penalties for electoral offences. Guardian’s coverage, for instance, described the bill as containing “significant reforms” across several areas while highlighting the rejection of mandatory real-time transmission.
Channels Television also highlighted debate around penalties, including the decision to retain a two-year jail term in a PVC-related offence clause while increasing fines, underscoring that the bill isn’t a one-issue document even though e-transmission is the headline magnet.
Why this matters for 2027
Nigeria is already in the early phase of 2027 manoeuvring: parties are sorting internal crises, alliances are shifting, and INEC is under pressure to lock administrative timelines. In this climate, the rules governing how results are transmitted are not a technical footnote. They shape whether citizens believe their votes survive the journey from polling unit to final declaration.
So, CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission because, in CITAD’s framing, it’s a choice between deepening credibility or returning to an election culture where results are “managed” in opaque spaces before the public sees them.
At minimum, the condemnation adds to the pile of voices demanding that the National Assembly revisit the clause before the process is completed. The bill’s journey is not finished: harmonisation with the House and eventual presidential assent are the next choke points where language can still change.
For now, one thing is clear: CITAD condemns Senate for rejecting mandatory e-transmission, and the fight over Nigeria’s election technology is heading into a sharper, louder phase as 2027 approaches.
