Victor Umeh, the senator representing Anambra central, has stated more that than 85 percent of senators backed the electronic transmission of election results during deliberations on the Electoral Act amendment.
The Electoral Act of 2022’s provision for electronic transmission of election result was upheld by the Senate on Wednesday.
However, the red chamber chose to maintain the current penalties of fines or jail time instead of approving suggestions for a 10-year ban on vote purchases and real-time results transmission.
Following reports that stated parliamentarians opposed electronic transmission and harsher penalties for election violations, the explanation was made in response to public outcry.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Thursday, Umeh stated that assertions that the Senate rejected electronic transmission were inaccurate.
He said that a lengthy legislative procedure that included readings, consultations, and public hearings across the country led to the resolution.
“It takes a process to make a law. A bill must go through readings, public hearings and consultations before debate and passage. Law is not made by the national assembly alone. It is made by carrying Nigerians along,” he said.
Umeh went on to say that the contentious 2023 elections raised hopes that the revised electoral rules will boost public trust and credibility in subsequent surveys.
The member stated that during the Senate’s deliberations, the change to Clause 60 of the Electoral Act 2022, which addresses the transmission of results, received unanimous agreement.
The national assembly’s joint sessions on the bill, retreats, and zonal public hearings were all dominated by the subject, he continued.
“It is good to say that in all these retreats, all these zonal public hearings, all the consultations and joint sessions we had, one issue received unanimous approval and demand from the public, and that is to amend Clause 60 of the Electoral Act of 2022 as it affects transmission of results,” he said.
Additionally, Umeh reiterated that stakeholders agreed to explicitly provide for the electronic transmission of results to avoid future legal ambiguities.
‘THERE WAS NO DEBATE ON TRANSMISSION’
The senator from Anambra stated that in its report to the Senate, an eight-person ad hoc committee appointed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio also kept the electronic transmission clause.
“Of course, it was debated exhaustively, because their committee retained the electronic transmission of results on what they brought back to the senate,” he said
“Over 85 percent of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground. Even the ad hoc committee of the senate agreed to it.”
Additionally, Umeh refuted assertions that the clause was erased during plenary, claiming that no such discussion occurred.
The only change that was agreed upon, he claimed, was the elimination of the word “in real-time,” because of worries about potential technical delays. Polling unit results will be sent electronically to IReV.
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