The Senate Minority Caucus has clarified that the National Assembly did not reject electronic transmission of election results during the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
The caucus said lawmakers retained the provision for electronic transfer of results as contained in the Electoral Act 2022, contrary to reports suggesting otherwise.
Addressing National Assembly Correspondents on Thursday, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, described the reports as misleading and said they created widespread misunderstanding among the public.
Abaribe stated that the Senate did not at any time vote against electronic transmission of results, noting that the provision was unanimously adopted during plenary.
“To put the record straight, the Senate did not reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act,” he said.
He explained that during the consideration of the bill, lawmakers only rejected proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote buyers, opting instead to maintain existing penalties of fines or imprisonment.
According to him, the decision followed extensive consultations, including retreats involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations, where stakeholders agreed on the importance of electronic transmission.
Abaribe added that an ad hoc committee, chaired by Senator Sadiq Umar, was set up to review outstanding issues before the bill was passed, and that senators agreed on retaining the provision in Section 65 of the bill.
He attributed public confusion to movement and noise in the chamber during plenary, which made it appear that the provision was rejected.
The senator further disclosed that a harmonisation committee has been constituted to reconcile differences between the Senate and House of Representatives’ versions of the bill before it is transmitted to the President for assent.
He assured Nigerians that the Senate would reconvene to formally adopt its votes and proceedings, which would clearly reflect the retention of electronic transmission of results.
“This is about strengthening democracy. Transparent and credible elections are the foundation of our system,” Abaribe said.
