Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, has hailed the recent amendment to the Electoral Act as a major step toward eliminating electoral manipulation in Nigeria.
Speaking on ARISE Television on Wednesday, Nwaebonyi explained that the amendment makes electronic transmission of election results mandatory, giving the law greater authority than existing guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Under the new arrangement, nobody can rig elections in Nigeria,” he asserted, highlighting the Senate’s position on the reform.
According to the senator, the key distinction between the 2022 Electoral Act and the latest amendment is the explicit legal requirement for electronic result transmission.
“The difference between the Electoral Act of 2022 and what we are doing now… is that the National Assembly has inserted electronic transmission of votes into the law itself,” Nwaebonyi said. “The word used is ‘shall’, not ‘may’. That is the difference.”
He added that the amendment ensures the Electoral Act now supersedes any conflicting operational guidelines issued by INEC, including those relating to the Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
“If there is conflict between the guideline and the Act, the Act is an Act of Parliament, and the guideline is merely an agency directive. The Electoral Act therefore overrides the guideline,” Nwaebonyi said.
The senator stressed that the reform fundamentally changes the legal framework for resolving election disputes, particularly regarding electronic transmission of results.
He noted, however, that the success of the new law would depend on vigilance by political actors and stakeholders.
“All that is required is for all eyes to be on the ball by all political players,” he said.
The Senate had reconvened in an emergency session on Tuesday following public concerns over earlier changes to the Electoral Act, especially provisions concerning electronic result transmission and INEC’s IREV portal.
