Legal Diary News

I respectfully write to share my considered thoughts on the ongoing deliberations concerning the amendment of the Electoral Act, particularly on the issue of electronic transmission of election results. Nigeria stands at a critical democratic crossroads. As the continues its deliberations on proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, the nation must decide whether to consolidate recent electoral reforms or retreat into familiar controversies that have historically undermined public confidence in our democratic process. Recently, Dr. SAN appeared on The Morning Show on , where he provided a historical perspective on the evolution of electoral reforms in Nigeria. He carefully traced the mischief that the introduction of electronic transmission was designed to cure manipulation during manual collation, alteration of figures between polling units and collation centres, ballot snatching, and the disappearance or substitution of result sheets. According to him, electronic t...

Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, on Saturday appeared on The Morning Show on Arise TV to examine the ongoing amendment of Nigeria’s Electoral Bill especially on the issue of electronic transmission by the National Assembly, offering a historical perspective on the reform and the mischief the proposed changes seek to cure. Responding to questions on his assessment of the new bill as passed by House of Representatives and the Senate on the issue, Dr. Ubani recalled that the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in the last round of election litigation, held that the Electoral Act, 2022 made no provision for electronic transmission of results and did not mention the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV). That omission, he noted, constrained the courts and made it impossible to invalidate the presidential election on the grounds canvassed. The decision, according to him, exposed clear gaps in the law and provided compelling justification for a comprehensive amendment. He explained that the Hou...