The Senate has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, with the contentious electronic transmission of votes scaling through with condition.
This is as South East Senators including Theodore Orji, Rochas Okorocha, Uche Ekwunife, Stella Oduah, Ifeanyi Ubah and Ike Ekweremadu were conspicuously absent during the debate and vote for the electronic transmission of votes.
While two, including Orji Uzor Kalu and Frank Ibezim voted against the retention of the full transmission of votes by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; six including Enyinnaya Abaribe, Sam Egwu, Obinna Ọgba, Nnachi Ama Micheal, Chukwuka Utazi and Francis Onyewuchi voted for the full transmission by INEC without approval from NCC.
The electronic transmission of results during elections will go ahead provided that the areas are adjudged by the National Communications Commission to be adequately covered under its national coverage and approved by the National Assembly.
This means that the areas marked out by the NCC as not having adequate coverage of GSM and Internet data will not have their results transmitted electronically.
This followed an amendment to Clause 52(3) by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger North) during consideration of a report by the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission.
The amendment was seconded by Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), Punch reports.
The Committee recommended that “The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
This, however, was amended by the Deputy Whip, Senator Sabi Abdullahi to read, “The Commission may consider electronic transmission of results, provided the national coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.”
Sabi Abdullahi and Ali Ndume said that the total recommendation by the Committee for electronic transmission of results in all parts of the country would deprive some Nigerians resident in areas with weak or without network coverage from participating in the electoral process.
They said that in order to ensure fairness and inclusiveness for the electorates, particularly in rural areas, an all-inclusive provision must be accommodated in the Electoral Act to protect their participation and votes during elections.
Sabi Abdullahi’s amendment was ruled on by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after a voice vote but lawmakers such as Enyinnaya Abaribe, Thompson Sekibo and Albert Bassey, objected against the positions Senators Sabi Abdullahi and Ndume.
They insisted that the previous recommendation be retained.
Bassey’s counter amendment, which insisted for retention of the Committee’s recommendation as captured in clause 52 sub-clause 3, was rejected when put to a voice vote by the Senate President.
The Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, while citing order 73 of the Senate Rule, called for a division.
The Senate President approved the request for division and called for voting on the amendment put forward by Senator Bassey.
Out of a total of 80 Senators present, 52 voted for the retention of the ‘Sabi Abdullahi Amendment’, while 28 who belonged to the opposition PDP voted for the ‘Bassey Amendment’.
The other 28 Senators that make up the 108 in the upper chamber, excluding the Senate President, were absent during plenary.
After the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Senate President, in his remarks said, “We have achieved what we have set for ourselves because of our commitment.
“We would all recall that at the beginning of the Ninth Senate, we resolved to have a legislative agenda.
“[And] in out legislative agenda, the Petroleum Industry Bill and amendment of the Electoral Act 2010, are pillars of what we have set for ourselves to do.
“Today, we have achieved those two issues.
“Secondly, the Electoral Act amendment, we have gone through a serious and probably torturous process to reach where we have by passing it.
“There was no victor, no vanquished in this affair. Everyone did what he or she did for the full commitment and realization that what we want is one and the same thing, but the path we have taken is different.
“We want an electronic transmission system for our electoral process, however, we want to ensure that no Nigerian is disenfranchised in this process, and time will definitely come when all parts of Nigeria will have the coverage that we all need to deploy our technology to ensure electronic transmission of election results.
“This has come to settle the issue of what INEC can do and what INEC cannot. We have given INEC an electoral Act amended to enhance its performance.”
The Senate after the passage of the bill, adopted the Votes and Proceedings and adjourned till 14th of September, 2021 for its annual recess.
THOSE WHO VOTED FOR INEC TO SEEK CLEARANCE FOR ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS
Ovie Omo-Agege
Peter Nwaoboshi
Mohammed Ali Ndume
Opeyemi Bamidele
Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir
Mohammed Danjuma Goje
Yusuf Yusuf
Bomai Ibrahim Mohammed
Sahabi Yau
Uba Sani
Kabiru Gaya
Ishaku Elisha Abbo
Amhad Babba Kaita
Adamu Aliero
Yahaya Abdullahi
Yakubu Oseni
Isa Jibrin
Smart Adeyemi
Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe
Oluremi Tinubu
Solomon Adeola
Tanko Al-Makura
Godiya Akwashiki
Abdullahi Adamu
Mohammed Sani Musa
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Birma Mohammed Enagi
Senator Dadu’ut Ladi
Francis Alimikhena
Abubakar Kyari
Senator Surajudeen Ajibola
Robert Ajayi Boroffice
Orji Uzor Kalu
Aderele Oriolowo
Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed
Degi Eremienyo
Ashiru Yisa
Bello Mandiya
Hezekiah Dimka Ayuba
Frank Ibezim
Kashim Shettima
Stephen Odeh
Shaibu Lau
Alkali Saidu
Amos Bulus
Danladi Sankara
Hadejia Hassan Ibrahim
Suleiman Abdul Kwari
Abdullahi Barkiya
Jika Dauda Haliru
Lawali Anka
Lawan Gamau
Total 52
Those who voted that INEC should transmit election results “when and where practicable”:
Enyinnaya Abaribe
Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi
Clifford Ordia
Matthew Urhoghide
Gyang Istifanus
George Sekibo
Biodun Olujimi
Mpigi Barinada
Betty Apiafi
Philip Aduda
Chukwuka Utazi
Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba
Danjuma La’ah
Francis Onyewuchi
Patrick Ayo Akinyelure
Kola Balogun
Eyankeyi Akon Etim
Christopher Ekpenyong
Seriake Dickson
Cleopas Zuwoghe
Emmanuel Orker-jev
Sandy Onor
Gershom Bassey
James Manager
Obinna Ogba
Sam Egwu
Nnachi Ama Micheal
Bassey Albert Bassey
Total 28
Senators who were absent
Theodore Orji
Yaroe Binos Dauda
Stella Oduah
Ike Ekweramadu
Patrick Ifieanyi Uba
Tokunbo Abiru
Bala Ibn Na’Allah
Tolu Odebiyi
Ibikunle Amosun
Olalekan Mustapha
Nicholas Tofowomo
Teslim Folarin
Buhari Abdulfatai
Aliyu Wamakko
Ibrahim Shekarau
Lilian Uche Ekwunife
Gabriel Suswam
Abba Moro
Mohammed Bulkachuwa
Emmanuel Bwacha
Mohammed Hassan
Olubunmi Adetunmbi
Chimaroke Nnamani
Rochas Okorocha
Mohammed Sabo
Barau Jibrin
Ibrahim Geidam
Umar Sadiq
Total 28
The list excludes the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
