By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has called on the bipartisan Conference Committee of the National Assembly to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, insisting that the proposal represents the most credible pathway toward transparent and verifiable elections in Nigeria.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the umbrella body of registered political parties and political associations in the country, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP urged lawmakers to act in the overriding national interest by supporting provisions that make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
The CNPP stated that the House Representatives’ version of the bill “unequivocally provides for mandatory electronic transmission of election results and compels Presiding Officers to upload polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time immediately after collation at polling units.”
Expressing outrage over the Senate’s position, the CNPP said it was deeply disappointed by the upper chamber’s decision to retain provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 that grant INEC discretionary powers regarding the transmission of election results and accreditation data.
“The CNPP expresses profound disappointment and strong condemnation of the Senate’s decision to retain the controversial provision of the Electoral Act 2022 which grants INEC discretionary powers to determine ‘the manner in which results and accreditation data are transferred.’ This decision is unacceptable, anti-democratic, and constitutes a looming national calamity capable of undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system,” Ezema stated.
The political parties’ coalition praised the House of Representatives for demonstrating responsiveness to the demands of Nigerians, political stakeholders, and civil society organisations by introducing what it described as progressive amendments aimed at strengthening electoral transparency and credibility.
According to the CNPP, the House version ensures that “electronic transmission of results from polling units is made compulsory rather than optional, compels Presiding Officers to upload polling unit results to the IReV portal in real time immediately after result declaration at polling units, and removes the discretionary authority previously granted to INEC regarding the mode and method of electronic transmission of results.”
The organisation insisted that “these provisions represent the minimum democratic safeguards required to guarantee credible, transparent, and verifiable elections in Nigeria.”
The CNPP further warned that the Senate’s retention of discretionary transmission provisions preserves systemic vulnerabilities that have historically enabled electoral malpractice. It argued that by maintaining what it described as ambiguous provisions in the 2022 Electoral Act, the Senate had prioritised administrative convenience over electoral integrity.
“This legislative position is particularly troubling given the realities exposed during the 2023 general elections, where the failure to enforce real-time electronic transmission of results generated widespread controversy, public distrust, and post-election litigation across multiple electoral contests,” the statement noted.
The CNPP also highlighted the legal and practical consequences of retaining discretionary transmission provisions, especially in light of the October 2023 Supreme Court ruling which upheld INEC’s wide discretionary powers under the Electoral Act 2022. The organisation warned that preserving such discretion would create significant risks for future elections.
It stressed that “the discretionary framework leaves significant loopholes that enable potential alteration of election results during manual collation processes between polling units and collation centres.” The CNPP added that opposition parties, election observers, and civil society organisations had consistently identified manual transmission stages as the most vulnerable points for electoral fraud.
“Without mandatory electronic uploads, Nigeria risks institutionalising opportunities for result tampering,” Ezema warned.
The CNPP further cautioned that failure to mandate electronic transmission could worsen voter apathy and erode public trust in the democratic process. The statement emphasised that electoral credibility is anchored on public confidence, adding that real-time electronic transmission remains the most reliable safeguard to assure citizens that their votes count.
“Failure to mandate technology-driven result management will inevitably deepen voter disillusionment, discourage participation, and weaken democratic legitimacy,” the CNPP said.
Addressing the Senate’s justification that operational challenges such as poor network coverage in remote areas informed its position, the CNPP acknowledged infrastructural limitations but insisted that flexibility must not come at the expense of accountability.
“While acknowledging infrastructural limitations, flexibility must not translate into institutional immunity from accountability. Retaining discretionary powers ensures that INEC cannot be legally compelled or held liable for failing to upload results electronically, thereby rendering the IReV portal largely ceremonial and restricted to mere public viewing without enforceable legal consequence,” the statement declared.
The CNPP also warned that discretionary electronic transmission would significantly weaken electoral justice and restrict the ability of aggrieved candidates and political parties to challenge election outcomes in court.
“The discretionary nature of electronic transmission significantly restricts the ability of aggrieved candidates and political parties to challenge election results based on failure to transmit results electronically. The October 2023 Supreme Court ruling clearly affirmed that electronic transmission remains optional under the current legal framework. Retaining this ambiguity effectively strips litigants of critical evidentiary tools necessary for election dispute resolution, thereby weakening Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence,” the statement added.
The organisation emphasised that Nigeria was currently at a critical democratic crossroads and urged lawmakers to prioritise transparency and electoral integrity.
“Electoral transparency is no longer a theoretical aspiration but a constitutional necessity for sustaining democratic stability, national unity, and peaceful political transitions,” Ezema stated.
The CNPP maintained that mandatory electronic transmission of election results had become a global democratic standard and should not be treated as negotiable within Nigeria’s electoral reform process.
“Mandatory electronic transmission of results has become the global democratic standard and represents a non-negotiable electoral safeguard in modern democracies. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind global best practices while expecting credible electoral outcomes,” the group said.
The CNPP called on the Conference Committee of the National Assembly to adopt the House of Representatives’ provisions mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results, remove all discretionary clauses granting INEC unilateral authority to determine the mode of result transmission, and enshrine clear legal obligations compelling presiding officers to upload polling unit results immediately after declaration at polling units.
The group also demanded statutory backing that would make failure to electronically transmit results a punishable electoral offence except under strictly defined and verifiable exceptional circumstances.
Reiterating its stance, the CNPP stressed that credible elections remain the bedrock of Nigeria’s democracy and warned against legislative actions that could weaken transparency mechanisms.
“Any legislative action that weakens transparency mechanisms or institutionalises loopholes for electoral manipulation amounts to democratic sabotage. History will judge the National Assembly not by political expediency but by its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral integrity. The Nigerian people have spoken loudly in favour of mandatory electronic transmission of election results, and their democratic will must not be subverted,” the statement concluded.
The CNPP reaffirmed that it’s committed to working with the Nigerian electorate, civil society organisations, and other democratic stakeholders in advocating electoral reforms that guarantee transparency, accountability, and electoral justice.
