The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters has announced its intention to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish election results online.

Speaking with Channels TV on Tuesday, the committee chairman, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, explained that the existing law does not obligate INEC to upload results, but the committee is actively working on amending the legislation.

Senator Alli stated, "That is one of the things that we are going to do. Under the current law, INEC doesn't need to upload results, that is what the court has said. But as we are going forward, it is going to be mandatory."

In addition to this proposed change, the committee is considering various electoral reforms. Alli mentioned that they suggest the resolution of all pre-election matters before the election and enhancing election technology.

"We looked at elections and election petitions. Regarding legislation about election petitions, we think all pre-election matters are resolved before the election. We are also looking at a situation where election petitions are concluded before swearing in," explained Alli.

The committee is contemplating establishing a specific timeframe for filing and concluding election petitions to prevent individuals from being sworn in while disputes are ongoing. Alli highlighted that this consideration addresses the issue of off-cycle elections, which could have been avoided if election petitions were resolved before the swearing-in ceremony.

Furthermore, the committee is focusing on developing and improving election technology. Senator Alli acknowledged the past disappointment with using the IReV and assured that efforts will be made to ensure that INEC addresses any technological challenges in the future.