A coalition of civil society organisations in Rivers State has expressed mixed feelings over the reported amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, describing the development as both encouraging and concerning.
In a statement read to journalists in Port Harcourt on February 19, 2026, Coordinator of the Concerned Civil Society Coalition, Egondu Esinwoke, said the group welcomed moves to strengthen electronic transmission of results but raised concerns about a proviso allowing manual transmission in cases of communication failure.
The coalition noted that while the amendment mandates presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal after signing and stamping Form EC8A, it also provides that where electronic transmission fails due to communication issues, the manually collated Form EC8A would serve as the primary source for collation and declaration of results.
According to the group, the inclusion of the manual fallback option could weaken efforts to ensure transparency and credibility in elections.
Citing the Supreme Court judgment in Atiku & Anor v. INEC & Ors, the coalition referenced remarks by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun Abba Aji, who emphasised the importance of technological advancement in election result transmission and expressed the view that electronic transmission should be made mandatory by statute rather than left to guidelines.
The coalition argued that with billions of naira reportedly earmarked for technological infrastructure to support electronic transmission, the Independent National Electoral Commission must ensure adequate network coverage, proper testing of facilities, and training of presiding officers ahead of elections.
It also called on the judiciary to give primacy to electronically transmitted results in the event of disputes and urged the National Assembly to remove the proviso permitting manual collation where electronic transmission fails.
The group further recommended that presiding officers in areas with poor network coverage be required to move to nearby locations with connectivity to upload results, adding that polling units where results are not electronically transmitted should face rerun elections.
The coalition commended civil society organisations and advocacy networks across the country that have supported campaigns for mandatory electronic transmission of results.
It said it would continue to monitor the harmonisation process between the legislative chambers and determine its next line of action based on the final outcome.
The statement was jointly signed by Coordinator Egondu Esinwoke and Secretary Courage Nsirimovu on behalf of member organisations, including Community Initiative for Enhanced Peace and Development, Anpez Centre for Environment and Development, Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative (The Peoples Advocates), Relief International, and Pius Dukor Foundation.
