*Senate Defends Stance On e-Transmission Of Results, Says ‘We Can’t Be Intimidated’
With rising criticism over the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, African Democratic Congress (ADC) stalwart, Kenneth Okonkwo has told the Senate to completely expunge provisions allowing manual transmission of election results.
Speaking on Tuesday while appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television, Nollywood actor-turned politician Okonkwo insisted that results must be transmitted directly from polling units to tame rigging or manipulation.
“Once they put that law that you must transmit from the polling unit, I am okay. So any polling officer would not leave the polling unit,” he said.
The controversy followed the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the Senate last week, where lawmakers rejected the proposal for real-time electronic transmission of results under Clause 60(3).
However, they retained provisions from the 2022 Act granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discretion over how results are transmitted.
The decision sparked outrage from opposition figures, who warned that it could weaken Nigeria’s democratic process. Protests were also staged at the National Assembly, one of them led by Mr Peter Obi, 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) and a major opposition voice.
In response to the backlash, Senate on Tuesday reviewed its position and approved electronic transmission of results, removing the “real-time” requirement.
It also ruled that in cases of poor internet connectivity, Form EC8A would serve as the primary document for result collation.
During an emergency plenary session, lawmakers set up a committee to reconcile the Senate’s version of the bill with that of the House of Representatives, following public discontent over some of the proposed amendments.
Okonkwo further argued that elections should be annulled wherever electronic transmission fails.
He said: “The House of Representatives should go further to say that where it is not possible to transmit from the polling unit, that election should be cancelled.”
Responding to concerns over whether cancelling an election due to failed electronic transmission would be fair, Okonkwo maintained that the entire electoral process revolves around credible results.
“The reason you are doing accreditation, voting is for the result. If you do all these things to get a fraudulent result, what have you gained? You have actually emboldened the criminals. The only problem we have in this country is fraudulent elections.
“On the day we have free and fair elections in Nigeria, 20 years after that, we would become a superpower nation. America is sustained today because power lies with the people.”
He blamed Nigeria’s slow development on elections plagued by irregularities, stressing that democracy belongs to the people, not to any political party, whether ADC or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okonkwo called on citizens to collectively defend and sustain democratic governance in the country.
Senate Can’t Be Intimidated On Electronic Transmission -Spokesman
Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, has said the red chamber of the National Assembly cannot be intimidated over the real-time transmission of election results saga.
Adaramodu made the remarks on Tuesday in an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.
According to him, lawmaking is not comical, adding that the Senate does not play to the gallery.
“We are not worried, we’re not to be intimidated, and we shouldn’t be intimidated.
“And moreover, as we know, in Nigeria and anywhere else where democracy is thriving, there will be shades of opinions, there will be shadows of ideas, and then we have to listen to all. So, that’s what happened,” he said.
*PHOTO CAPTION: National Assembly complex, Abuja.
