The Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , has returned the electronic transmission of results in the draft of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021. The committee, it was gathered , took the decision at an emergency meeting in Abuja.
It has been criticisms upon criticisms by Nigerians since news broke over the weekend that the new draft bill , which makes room for a total ban of electronic transmission of votes was to be introduced at the Senate yesterday.
However, critics decried the move, calling it a ploy by the federal legislators through which the 2023 general election will be rigged.
The Critic’s call for Nigerians to reject the move had about 22 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) raise alarm over the alleged plan. The CSOs stated on Monday that the manipulation of Section 50(2) would undermine INEC’s efforts to improve the election results management regime.
At the Committee meeting , which lasted for more than four hours and headed by Senator Kabir Gaya , the bill was reworked to read that Voting at an election under this bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commissioner (INEC) , which may include electronic voting provided that the commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.
Some members of the Senate Committee , have denied having any prior knowledge of the clause that was sneaked into the draft bill before it was made public while the President of the Senate , Dr Ahmad Lawan said that presiding officers were not tampering with the workings of committees of both chambers on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
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