AKPABIO CLARIFIES SENATE POSITION ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has clarified that the National Assembly did not reject electronic transmission of election results, but instead maintained the existing provision in the Electoral Act. He explained that lawmakers only removed the “real-time” clause from the proposed amendment while retaining the legality of electronic transmission of results. 

Akpabio made the clarification during a public engagement in Abuja, stating that the Senate’s decision was aimed at preventing potential legal and technological complications. He noted that enforcing mandatory real-time transmission could create challenges in areas experiencing network or grid failures, which could later become grounds for election disputes. 

According to the Senate President, the removal of the real-time requirement was intended to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the flexibility to determine the most appropriate method for transmitting election results. He stressed that the commission must be allowed to factor in security and technological conditions when implementing result transmission processes. 

Akpabio further reiterated that the Senate remains committed to enacting laws that reflect public interest and strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system. He maintained that electronic transmission of results is still permitted under the law, contrary to public perceptions that lawmakers had scrapped the provision. 

The clarification followed widespread reactions after the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill through a third reading but declined to approve a proposal that would make electronic transmission of results mandatory. The rejected amendment sought to require presiding officers to upload polling unit results to the INEC Results Viewing Portal immediately after official documentation and authentication. 

Reacting to the development, former Senate President David Mark called for greater autonomy for INEC, suggesting that the electoral body should determine whether electronic transmission of results should be implemented. He also disclosed that the African Democratic Congress supports the adoption of electronic transmission to enhance transparency in Nigeria’s electoral process.