The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Heebah Kingibe, has dismissed reports suggesting that the Senate rejected key provisions of the ongoing Electoral Reform Bill, affirming that lawmakers remain firmly committed to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process, including the electronic transmission of election results.
Kingibe, a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, said she decided to address Nigerians directly following growing public debate and what she described as misleading narratives surrounding the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.
She explained that the reform process spanned 2024 and 2025 and involved extensive consultations, including public hearings and policy retreats organised by a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The exercise, she noted, also featured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several civil society organisations as technical partners.
According to the lawmaker, the consultative process culminated in a comprehensive report designed to meet public expectations for a more transparent, credible and accountable electoral system.
Kingibe said the recommendations of the joint committee were anchored on three core pillars: the mandatory electronic transmission of election results with real-time upload to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV); the recognition of three modes of party primaries—direct, indirect and consensus—within a clearly regulated framework; and the establishment of clearly defined election timelines that are workable for INEC, political actors and the electorate.
She disclosed that when the report was presented to the Senate, an ad hoc committee was constituted to review its contents, adding that the panel’s findings were largely consistent with the original submissions of the joint committee.
According to her, about 85 per cent of senators expressed support for the electronic transmission of election results.
The senator expressed concern over claims that the Senate had abandoned the proposed reforms or reverted to the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, describing such reports as inaccurate.
“While the 2022 Electoral Act used the term ‘transfer’ of results, the committees, after careful deliberation, specifically recommended that INEC shall electronically transmit election results and upload them to the IREV in real time,” Kingibe said, adding that these amendments remain part of the ongoing legislative process.
She noted that the Electoral Reform Bill has not been finalised, explaining that the harmonisation of the versions passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives is still underway. According to her, a correspondence committee has been constituted to reconcile both versions into a single final document.
“Although the bill has passed third reading, the final harmonised version is yet to be concluded,” she said.
Kingibe stressed that the entire reform process is driven by the objective of deepening democracy and ensuring elections that are transparent, credible and acceptable to Nigerians. She urged citizens to remain calm while maintaining active civic engagement.
“I urge Nigerians to stay engaged, hold their representatives accountable, and demand transparency. Insist that the final Electoral Reform Bill protects your votes and your democratic rights,” she said.
“We are your representatives. We are your voice. And your will must shape the laws that govern you.”
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