Senate makes U-turn, okays e-transmission of election results

The Senate on February 4 passed the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill and retained Clause 60(3) of the principal law, which provided for transfer of election results.

The development had generated heated debates among Nigerians, particularly on provisions regarding electronic transmission of results from polling units.

At the emergency plenary on Tuesday, the Senate Chief Whip,  Mohammed Monguno, sought the upper legislative chamber’s approval to rescind his earlier motion adopted during the February 4 sitting.

The motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

Moving the motion, Monguno recalled the passage of the Electoral Act Repeal and Enactment Bill by the Senate last Wednesday.

He said: “Note that upon careful examination of the bill, fresh issues have emerged in respect of clause 60(3), requiring further legislative consideration for smooth, transparent elections.

“Relying on the provisions of Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023, as amended, I hereby move accordingly.

“That I resolve to rescind my earlier motion on Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Bill, as previously passed by the senate to replace ‘transfer’ with ‘transmit’.

“I also move that clause 60(3) be recommitted to the committee of the whole for further reconsideration and passage.

“The reason behind this amendment is that I was the one who moved the motion for the retention of the existing act.

“The controversy that it has generated has led me to rescind the decision.”

During the reconsideration of the motion, the Senate adopted all the clauses of the Electoral Act amendment bill after extensive deliberations by lawmakers.

The clause 60(3) was amended to mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units to IReV after EC8A forms might have been signed and stamped.

The amendment specified the signing by the presiding officer and available party agents at polling units before the electronic transmission.