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BREAKING: Senate OKs Electronic & Manual Election Result Transmission

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The Nigerian Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, retaining provisions that allow for the transmission of election results in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), effectively permitting both electronic and manual methods without mandating real-time electronic upload.

In a key decision during the bill’s third reading earlier this month, senators rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time via electronic means after results are announced and forms are signed. Instead, the chamber adopted the existing language from the 2022 Electoral Act, which states that the presiding officer shall “transfer the results… in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

Senate leadership, including President Godswill Akpabio, has clarified that the decision does not outright reject electronic transmission, as the law already accommodates it at INEC’s discretion. They described reports of a complete ban on electronic methods as misleading, emphasizing that the amendment retains flexibility for the electoral body to use technology where feasible, while allowing manual processes as a fallback.

The move has sparked widespread controversy and public backlash, with critics—including opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers—arguing that removing the mandatory real-time electronic requirement weakens transparency, opens the door to manipulation during collation, and represents a setback for electoral integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Protests erupted at the National Assembly complex, with demonstrators demanding the restoration of compulsory real-time e-transmission to curb fraud and build public trust. An emergency plenary session was convened amid mounting pressure, though the core provision on result transmission remained unchanged in the passed version.

The bill, which also includes other changes such as adjustments to election timelines, voter accreditation technology, and penalties for electoral offenses, now awaits harmonization with the House of Representatives’ version—where some reports indicate support for stronger electronic provisions—before heading to the president for assent. The outcome has intensified national debate over the future of credible elections in Nigeria.

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Burial begins for Oyo school teacher killed by JAS terrorist group

The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.

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The burial arrangements for Adesiyan Adegboye, the teacher killed during last Friday’s coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, began on Friday at Ayegun Baptist Church, Ogbomoso.

Adegboye, 49, was shot dead during the invasion carried out by armed bandits at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele.

The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.

The attackers reportedly stormed the schools around 9:30am, abducting several teachers and students during the operation that threw the communities into panic.

Following the incident, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the affected area on Saturday and ordered the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja to support ongoing rescue efforts.

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FG launches GovGuideNigeria to boost citizens governance access

GovGuideNigeria platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

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The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijan, has said that Nigerians can now access the government information and services through the newly launched GovGuideNigeria.

The artificial intelligence-powered platform was launched on May 21 by the government in collaboration with Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local developer partner Publica AI.

According to the Minister, the platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

Tijani stated that the platform provides users with easy access to information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies.

He described the initiative as part of the government’s efforts to improve public service delivery through technology and digital innovation.

Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Meta, said during the launch “Meta’s open-source AI is critical to economic growth and productivity — and GovGuide Nigeria, is a clear example of what this looks like in practice.

Ignatius Willie, CEO, Publica AI said, “Today is not just a product launch. It is a step towards democratising how Nigerians engage with their government. With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use every day.

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DHQ says JAS terrorists carried out Oyo kidnap

The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.

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Photo: Maj Gen Michael Onoja

The Defence Headquarters disclosed that the attackers behind the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced by sustained military offensives across the country.

Latest week, schools in communities at Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, were attacked by terrorists ; they abducted pupils, teachers and other residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.

The incident also left several persons dead, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.

In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, the DHQ confirmed said that the attack was perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over the country.

The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.

“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated

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