Senate Clears Air: No Rejection of E-Transmission, Abaribe Insists -

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has firmly clarified that the Nigerian Senate did not reject electronic transmission of election results during the recent passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

This addresses widespread media reports sparking public outcry just 24 hours earlier.

Background

Confusion arose after Wednesday’s plenary, where reports claimed lawmakers rejected e-transmission and a 10-year ban on vote buyers.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed these as misleading, stating: “Distinguished colleagues, the social media is already awash with reports that the Senate has literally rejected electronic transmission of results.

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That is not true. What we did was to retain the electronic transmission which has been in the act and was used in 2022.”

The process included joint committees with INEC and civil society retreats, public hearings, and an ad hoc review by Senator Sadiq Umar’s team, leading to unanimous support for Section 65’s e-transmission.

Abaribe’s Clarification

Speaking for the Senate Minority Caucus on Thursday, Abaribe said: “Since yesterday, the media has been awash with reports suggesting that the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of election results. That is not correct.”

He added: “To put the record straight, the Senate did not — I repeat, did not — reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.”

The Senator explained that: “At the end of those retreats, everyone agreed that electronic transmission of results was the way to go.

“That position was reflected in the reports presented to both chambers.”

He noted chamber noise caused misperceptions but video records confirm passage, with next steps involving votes and proceedings adoption before harmonisation.

He stressed: “Senators across party lines agree on this because transparent, free, and fair elections are the foundation of democracy. If results are not transparent or the process is distorted, then it is not a democracy.”

Implications

This clarification promotes transparency amid electoral reforms. The Senate retained flexible INEC-prescribed e-transmission, rejecting only rigid “real-time” mandates to avoid legal issues.