YERP-Naija decries Senate decision on electoral amendment

The Youth-led Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium has expressed disappointment over the Senate’s decision on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, particularly the rejection of a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the consortium said the Senate passed the bill at third reading on February 4 but declined an amendment earlier approved by the House of Representatives, which sought to compel presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically from polling units.
According to the group, retaining the current provision that allows INEC to determine the mode of transmission administratively weakens transparency safeguards and undermines public confidence, especially among young voters.
YERP-Naija urged the conference committee of both chambers to restore the provision during harmonisation, stressing that meaningful and timely reforms are critical to credible elections ahead of 2027. It also called on citizens, civil society groups, labour unions and the media to engage lawmakers to reconsider the decision.