From Victor Osula, Abuja
Following overwhelming public pressure and insistence on electronic transmission of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Senate on Tuesday, October 12, granted the Commission the sole power to determine the mode of transmission of results.
By this decision, the senior lawmakers reversed an earlier stand that INEC may consider the electronic transmission of results; “provided national [network] coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure” by the National Communications Communication, an agency of government that has no constitutional role to infringe on INEC’s mandate, let alone approve the Commission’s conduct alongside the National Assembly.
Under a new amendment of Clause 52 (2) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Senate resolved that “voting at an election and transmission of results under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission, which may include electronic voting”.
The move was part of decisions taken by the Senate when it passed a bill; to re-commit some clauses in the Electoral Act Repeal and Re-Enactment bill; which was earlier passed separately by the Senate and House of Representatives.
In the motion moved by Senate Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, who moved the motion after a critical examination of the Bill by the Senate Committee on INEC, clauses 43,52,62,87 of the Act were amended.
Also, the Senate amended Section 87 that deals with the method of primaries to be adopted by political parties.
It now reads : The Senate had earlier adopted during the amendment of the electoral act; that parties should adopt either direct or indirect primaries.
After a heated debate, prompted by arguments by those for and against the proposal, a majority of lawmakers voted in favour of direct primaries and it was adopted by the Senate.
