The senate on Thursday rejected section 52(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which provides for electronic transfer of election results. T
The senate on Thursday rejected section 52(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which provides for electronic transfer of election results.
The clause which led to the division of the chamber saw 52 senators voting against the clause, 28 others in support while 28 others were not available to vote. The senate president, Ahmad Lawan did not vote.
The senate committee on communications had, in its report, recommended that, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC “may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
But an APC senator from Niger North, Sabi Abdullahi, amended the clause to read, “INEC may consider electronic collation of results, provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secured by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.”
The senate president however ruled in favour of the amendment when he conducted a voice vote.
There was a disagreement and the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, called for a division which would require individual voting on the floor. Lawan sustained Abaribe’s point of order and called for a division.
The outcome of the election showed that 52 APC senators, including the chairman of the Senate INEC committee, Kabiru Gaya, voted against the panel’s report, which gives the electoral umpire the sole power to determine the practicability of electronic transmission of results.
The Peoples Democratic Party members on the floor all voted in favour of electronic transmission of results by INEC without interference from either the NCC or the National Assembly.
The APC members, while casting their votes against the amendment, attributed their decision to the claim of the NCC that only 43 per cent of the country has network coverage.
The PDP senators, on the other hand, said allowing the NCC and the National Assembly to meddle in the affairs of INEC will affect the integrity of the polls.
