Senate Caves in, Amends Electoral Act on Electronic Transmission of Results

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Senate has amended the Electoral Act, modifying Clause 60 to require the presiding officer at each polling unit to electronically transmit election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

However, it added a clause that if electronic transmission fails due to communication/network issues, the manual result sheet (Form EC8A) would become the primary source for result collation.

The Senate amended the votes and proceedings of its plenary sitting last Wednesday, February 4, with regard to its resolutions on the provisions of section 60 sub 3 in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The motion moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Mr Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and endorsed by the red chamber, is with regard to the electronic transmission of election results from polling units.

Following the motion, this means the Senate adopts electronic means for the transmission of election results, but should there be a communication glitch that leads to failure of delivery by the electronic means, the form EC8, which contains the results at polling unit, duly entered on the form, stamped and signed by the election officer appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and counter signed by the various agents shall be the primary source of collation.

After the vote on the motion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe moved a counter-motion calling for a division, that is, individual voting on section 60 sub 3.

He, however, withdrew the motion after the Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked him to proceed.

The issue of real-time transmission has raised worries with protesters, including former presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi and others marching to the National Assembly on Monday to voice their anger at legislators approving changes to electoral laws, while omitting the key reform demanded by the opposition party.

The Senate’s position on the transmission of election results contrasts with that of the House of Representatives. However, both chambers have set up conference committees to harmonise their differences, after which a clean copy will be transmitted to the President for assent.