Paul Iza Urges Senate To Reconsider Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 .... Says rejecting the bill might make people/voters doubt the electoral process integrity."

Paul Iza 

..... Urges the Senate to listen to the people who voted them in and are accountable to, and reconsider the bill, warning that going contrary would affect voter’s confidence and empathy.

The Senate of the National Assembly in passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, generated controversy by removing or not making mandatory the clause for real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) result-viewing portal.

 

Political leaders and critics — including opposition parties, civil society groups, and activists — argue the move undermines electoral transparency and could erode trust ahead of the 2027 general elections. While some senators later clarified that electronic transmission remains permitted under the retained law and only the “real-time” wording was dropped, public outcry continues over fears of ambiguity and potential loopholes in the results process.

 

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has not aligned fully with the Senate’s controversial adjustment on electronic transmission of election results. While the Senate’s version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 dropped the clause making real-time electronic transmission mandatory, the House had earlier passed its own version that explicitly endorsed real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IREV portal to boost transparency. 

 

To reconcile differences, both Chambers (the House of Representatives and Senate) have now set up a Conference committee to harmonize their differing positions — including on electronic transmission — ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Paul Iza, a political stalwart and former member of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, while speaking on the current political dispensation especially as it concerns the recent pronouncement by the "Senate rejecting real time electronic transmission of election results", opined that, “the Senate rejecting the bill might make people/voters doubt the electoral process integrity, and voters might think their votes won't count or be tampered with. The House already approved live transmission of results from polling units, so it's confusing why the Senate isn't on board with that.

 

He urged the Senate to listen to the people who voted them in and are accountable to, and reconsider the bill, warning that going contrary would affect voter’s confidence and empathy.

 

Reacting to concerns from electorates on the loss of confidence in the electoral body; INEC to conduct credible and free elections with their votes no longer coming to count, stressed that there is still for INEC to do the needful to encourage voter’s participation in the entire exercise as Nigerians truly deserve the best.