The Senate has stated clearly that the Independent National Electoral Commission does not yet have the structure to conduct electronic voting in Nigeria, stressing that the electronic upload of results should not be confused with full electronic voting. The clarification was made by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, who leads the Senate Ad hoc Committee reviewing the proposed 2026 Electoral Bill. He addressed growing public debate about the role of technology in elections, especially the use of the INEC Result Viewing Portal known as IReV.
According to him, many Nigerians have misunderstood what IReV represents. He explained that IReV is not a system where citizens cast their votes electronically. Instead, it is a digital portal created to display results that have already been counted and declared manually at polling units. He said voting in Nigeria is still done with ballot papers. After voters thumbprint and drop their ballots, the votes are counted by officials at the polling unit. The presiding officer then records the figures in Form EC8A. That document is signed and confirmed at the polling unit before any digital step takes place. Only after this manual process can the results be uploaded to IReV for public viewing. He stressed that electronic transmission in this context simply means sending already declared results to an online portal. It does not mean that voting itself has become electronic. In his words, Nigeria has not moved into an electronic voting era.
The senator also addressed concerns that the Senate was attempting to weaken transparency by adjusting certain wording in the Electoral Bill. He argued that changing terms such as transmit or upload does not alter the substance of the process. Whether the law says upload, transfer or transmit, the essential step remains the same. Results are first written manually, then sent to the portal in line with how the software is designed. He pointed out that lawmakers cannot rewrite the technical configuration of INEC’s software through legislation alone. The system has its operational framework, and any digital upload will follow that structure. The National Assembly, he said, has not stopped INEC from using IReV in future elections.
Adegbonmire further explained that the idea of real time transmission is often misunderstood. True real time electronic transmission across the country would require a fully developed electronic voting system. As of now, he said, INEC does not have that capacity. He suggested that perhaps in a few years such a system could be adopted, but it is not presently in place.
He also highlighted the logistical realities of conducting elections in a country as large and geographically complex as Nigeria. He gave practical examples from Ondo State, where electoral materials are distributed days before elections and stored securely before being taken to different communities. Some communities, he said, are located far from major towns and require several hours of travel by road. Others are in riverine areas where officials must travel by boat. Because of these conditions, voting does not begin at the same time in every location. In some areas voting may start in the morning. In other places it may begin much later in the day. As a result, vote counting and result declaration also happen at different times. He warned that imposing rigid timelines for uploading results could create unnecessary suspicion. Network delays or late voting in remote areas might lead to accusations of manipulation if the public expects every result to appear online at the same hour.
He urged the media and political actors to report carefully and avoid creating tension based on misunderstanding of technical processes. According to him, a delay in uploading does not automatically mean wrongdoing. Internet connectivity, terrain and security conditions can all affect timing. He emphasized again that IReV does not show how any individual voted. It only displays the final figures recorded at the polling unit after counting. Ballots are still counted manually. Neither IReV nor the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System counts votes. They serve other functions within the electoral process.
The Senate committee was formed to review grey areas and reconcile differing opinions that emerged during discussions on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The goal, according to Adegbonmire, is to produce clear legislation that strengthens confidence without creating confusion. While debate continues in Abuja over electoral reforms and digital processes, a separate security crisis unfolded in Akwa Ibom State, drawing attention to growing concerns about kidnapping and safety in local communities.
Gunmen Abduct Supermarket Owner In Nsit Ibom, Demand N30 Million Ransom
Armed men have abducted a 35 year old businessman, Mr Enobong Akaninyene Okon, from his supermarket in Oboetim Village in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The incident occurred at about 9.40 p.m. on February 10, 2026. Witnesses said the attackers arrived in a vehicle without registration plates. They stormed the shop and forcefully took the owner away to an unknown location. His wife, Mrs Victoria Enobong Akaninyene, reported the matter at the Nsit Ibom Police Division roughly an hour later. She told officers that the men entered their business premises and seized her husband before fleeing.
According to security sources, the kidnappers later contacted the family using a mobile phone line. They demanded a ransom of thirty million naira in exchange for his release. In addition to abducting him, the gunmen allegedly took the couple’s Moniepoint point of sale machine. Before abandoning the device, they reportedly withdrew about one point nine million naira from it.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, responded by deploying tactical units to the area. Security teams have been assigned to search for the suspects and work toward securing the safe release of the victim. A security source confirmed that investigations are ongoing. Officers are said to be tracking leads that may help identify and arrest those responsible. The attack has left residents of Oboetim Village shaken. Many have expressed fear over what they describe as a rising pattern of abductions in parts of the state. Community members are calling on law enforcement agencies to strengthen patrols and increase surveillance, especially at night.
Business owners in the area are also worried about their safety. Some have begun closing earlier than usual, while others are considering additional private security measures. As of the time of this report, police authorities have not released further details about progress in the rescue operation. The family of the victim remains anxious, hoping for his safe return.
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