The Socio-{Economic} Rights and Accountability Venture has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau, urging it to analyze senators allegedly concerned within the elimination of provisions on the digital transmission of election outcomes from the Electoral Act Modification Invoice.
In a press release shared on its official X deal with on Sunday, SERAP stated the motion allegedly occurred throughout plenary, after a majority of senators had voted in favour of retaining the provisions, and with none debate on their elimination.
“BREAKING: We’ve requested the Code of Conduct Bureau (@CCBNigeria) to promptly and successfully examine the conduct of members of the Senate who allegedly participated within the elimination of the provisions on digital transmission of election outcomes from the Electoral Act Modification Invoice throughout plenary, after the vast majority of the senators had voted for the inclusion of the provisions and with none debate on the proposed elimination,” the assertion learn.
“THE REJECTION SPARKED WIDESPREAD CRITICISM FROM ACTIVISTS LIKE FORMER MINISTER, OBY EZEKWESILI, AND GROUPS SUCH AS AFENIFERE FOR UNDERMINING ELECTORAL TRANSPARENCY AHEAD OF 2027 POLLS.”
The petition follows a latest Senate plenary wherein lawmakers rejected a proposal to make obligatory the digital transmission of election outcomes from polling models to the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee’s (INEC) Consequence Viewing Portal (IReV).
The event has drawn widespread criticism from Nigerians and civil society organisations, who argue that the Senate’s motion might undermine transparency and credibility in future elections. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, nevertheless, has denied the claims, insisting that the Senate didn’t take away digital transmission provisions from the proposed modification.
Past the Electoral Act situation, SERAP additionally requested the CCB to probe lawmakers and officers within the govt arm of presidency over alleged discrepancies between the harmonised variations of tax reform payments handed by the Nationwide Meeting and the copies later signed into legislation and gazetted by the Federal Authorities.
Akpabio has equally dismissed allegations relating to the tax legal guidelines, sustaining that the variations signed into legislation have been in keeping with these handed by the legislature.
In line with SERAP, the alleged actions represent breaches of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
“The place lawmaking is formed by abuse of workplace and battle of curiosity, it ceases to be a reputable train of constitutional and fiduciary accountability and turns into a authorized and moral infraction prohibited underneath the Code of Conduct for Public Officers,” the group said.
The Senate had on February 4 rejected a proposed modification for obligatory real-time digital transmission of election leads to the Electoral Act.
The Senate handed the Electoral Invoice 2026 following hours of strong debate nevertheless it rejected a proposal to mandate real-time digital transmission of election outcomes whereas approving important reforms to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences and voting expertise.
On the centre of the controversy was Part 60, which governs the transmission of polling unit outcomes. Senators voted down a suggestion by the Senate Committee on Electoral Issues that might have compelled presiding officers to add outcomes to the INEC Consequence Viewing (IReV) portal in actual time.
As a substitute, lawmakers retained the strategy within the 2022 Electoral Act, which permits digital transmission after votes are counted and publicly introduced on the polling models.
Relatedly, the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, which concluded work on the timetable and schedule of actions for the 2027 normal election, is unable to launch it attributable to ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the Nationwide Meeting.
It additionally recognized the inclusion of deceased individuals on the voters’ register, prompting plans for a nationwide verification train.
The rejection sparked widespread criticism from activists like former minister, Oby Ezekwesili, and {groups} equivalent to Afenifere for undermining electoral transparency forward of 2027 polls.
On its half, the African Democratic Congress raised the alarm over the Nationwide Meeting’s delay in passing the Electoral Act amendments, warning that the state of affairs might expose political events to technical and authorized pitfalls forward of the 2027 normal elections.
Underneath the retained provisions, presiding officers are required to: rely votes on the polling unit, file outcomes on prescribed types, announce them publicly and transmit them electronically to the suitable collation centre.
Copies should even be supplied to polling brokers and safety personnel the place accessible. Violators face fines of as much as N500,000 or a minimal of six months’ imprisonment.
Final Tuesday’s session on the Senate might result in reconsidering the modification amid public outcry and authorized challenges from figures like Lawyer Femi Falana, probably influencing Nigeria’s democratic processes by balancing incumbency protections towards calls for for verifiable voting expertise.