Division in the senate over electronic transmission of election result

Senate: APC disagree over electronic transmission of result

There was chaos in the Senate on Thursday over the electronic transmission of election results as members of the All Progressives Congress voted against it.

The Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission chaired by Senator Kabir Gaya had recommended in Section 52(3) that INEC “may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.” to avoid rigging, particularly it has been the yearning of Nigerians.

The Senate after voting resolved that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC may consider the electronic transmission of results provided that the National coverage as adjudged by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC and approved by the National Assembly.

Senate President, Ibrahim Lawan, 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.

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At the end of the poll, 88 senators voted, while 28 were not available to vote.

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.