ELECTORAL ACT: Supreme Court guided amendment, no wrongdoing by Senate — Jimoh Ibrahim

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South, on Sunday, defended the recent amendment to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, insisting it was firmly based on a Supreme Court judgment and not a legislative overreach.

Speaking at the University of Fortune, Igbotako, during a visit by Political Science scholars, Ibrahim described the controversy surrounding the amendment as “unnecessary and misplaced.”

He explained that the Supreme Court ruling in Atiku v. INEC (No. 2), delivered on December 29, 2023, had already clarified key issues, including INEC’s discretionary powers, the validity of election results, locus standi, and the legal status of the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

“The Supreme Court clearly indicated what should be captured in future legislation. The Senate only implemented that historic judgment. We did nothing wrong; there is no fire anywhere,” Ibrahim said.

He noted that the court had ruled the Electoral Act 2022 did not mandate real-time electronic transmission of results, limiting INEC’s discretion. The Senate, he said, merely codified this clarification to remove ambiguity.

On the IReV portal, Ibrahim stressed that the court recognised it only as an administrative tool, not a statutory requirement, and warned against manipulation of results through technology.

READ ALSO: Obi: Nigeria’s challenge is leadership, not talent

“The court made it clear that where election results are compromised through technology, such conduct will not be accepted. The Senate respects this position and has ensured it is reflected in the law,” he added.

Ibrahim further explained that under the amended Act, failure to upload results in real time does not invalidate an election or nullify manual collation, a position affirmed by the Supreme Court and now reinforced by statute.

He assured Nigerians that the Senate, under President Godswill Akpabio, remains committed to transparency and accountability, urging politicians to win elections through voter support rather than legal or legislative manoeuvres.

“If we do not respect the opinion of the Supreme Court, who else do we respect?” he asked.

The clarification comes after the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, which scaled third reading on February 4, 2026. The chamber rejected Clause 60(3), which sought to make electronic transmission of results mandatory, instead retaining a discretionary provision.

The decision has drawn criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures, who see it as a setback to democratic progress. The Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary for February 10, 2026 to further address the matter.

The post ELECTORAL ACT: Supreme Court guided amendment, no wrongdoing by Senate — Jimoh Ibrahim appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.