Reps Mandate Real-Time Upload of Poll Results to IReV, Tighten BVAS Rules Ahead of 2027

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The House of Representatives has moved to tighten Nigeria’s electoral process by mandating the real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

The decision followed a clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, during which lawmakers ratified Clause 60(3) of the proposed law. The provision compels presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time, after Form EC8A has been duly signed and stamped, and countersigned by candidates or polling unit agents where available.

By this amendment, the House removed the discretion previously granted to INEC under the 2022 Electoral Act, which tied electronic transmission to the Commission’s guidelines. Lawmakers said the change directly addresses persistent concerns over transparency, credibility, and public trust in Nigeria’s elections.

The move also responds to the technical glitches and delays that plagued the IReV portal during the 2023 general elections, which sparked widespread criticism from voters, political parties, and civil society groups.

In a related development, the House entrenched the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as the primary accreditation tool under Clause 47(2). The amendment provides that where BVAS fails and no replacement is available, elections in the affected polling units must be cancelled.

It further stipulates that a fresh poll must be conducted within 24 hours if the cancelled vote could substantially influence the outcome of the election in that constituency.

Chairman of the House Committee, Adebayo Balogun, said the amendments strengthen the 2022 Electoral Act by closing identified gaps and reflecting extensive consultations with key stakeholders in the electoral process.

The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 will now proceed to full passage by the House, harmonisation with the Senate version, and presidential assent, ahead of implementation in the 2027 general elections.