…Five-Year Jail For Fraudulent Presiding Officers
… INEC IReV Portal Must Now Operate In Real Time
… Over 70 Clauses Reviewed In Landmark Sitting
Daud Olatunji
The House of Representatives has taken a major step towards enhancing the credibility of Nigeria’s elections by mandating the real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units.
The resolution was adopted on Wednesday during a clause-by-clause consideration of proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022. Under the new provision, presiding officers are required to transmit results electronically to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV portal immediately after signing and stamping Form EC8A. Where present, candidates or polling unit agents may countersign the form.
Currently, the law does not require INEC to transmit results in real time, a gap that had previously fuelled suspicions during elections.
The IReV portal, introduced to enhance transparency, remained inactive for long periods during the last general elections, prompting calls from civil society organisations (CSOs) for mandatory electronic reporting.
In a bid to deter electoral fraud, lawmakers also approved a five-year jail term for presiding officers found guilty of declaring false results.
Another amendment designated the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as the primary tool for voter verification.
The law stipulates that if the system fails at any polling unit and cannot be immediately replaced, the election in that unit must be cancelled and rescheduled within 24 hours, if INEC deems the unit’s result crucial to the overall outcome.
The House considered over 70 clauses during the session and adjourned to reconvene on Thursday for further review of the report.
Observers say the amendments could mark a significant improvement in the integrity and transparency of Nigeria’s electoral process if implemented effectively.
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