List of senators who opposed manual backup clause in electoral bill released

The identities of the 15 senators who voted in support of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results during deliberations on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026 have been revealed.

The lawmakers opposed the retention of a controversial provision that allows manual collation of results as a backup.

The Senate approved the electronic transmission of election results while retaining manual collation as a fallback option in a plenary session on Tuesday.

The resolution followed a tense plenary session in the red chamber of the National Assembly.

During a dramatic division on the floor, 55 senators voted in favour of keeping the manual backup clause, while Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and the 14 others stood against it, insisting on mandatory real-time electronic transmission.

The senators include:

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central)

Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South)

Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central)

Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South)

Ireti Kingibe (ADC, FCT)

Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West)

Onawo Ogwoshi (ADC, Nasarawa South)

Tony Nwoye (ADC, Anambra North)

Victor Umeh (ADC, Anambra Central)

Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe Central)

Austin Akobundu (PDP, Abia Central)

Khalid Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna North)

Sikayo Yaro (PDP, Gombe South)

Emmanuel Nwachukwu (APGA, Anambra South)

Peter Jiya (PDP, Niger South)