Between Electoral Act 2022 And Senate

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, came out to say that the Electoral Act, 2022, did not provide for electronic transmission of election results. 

Remember, many Nigerians made up their minds to participate in the 2023 presidential election because in Section 84, there was provision for the use of electronic devices in the Nigerian elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) tested it in different off-season elections it conducted in Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun State. 

The process was adjudged to be fair when compared with the previous elections. 

INEC, also promised Nigerians that it will transmit the election results from the polling units in real time using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) which is one of the technologies the commission introduced for the 2023 general elections. Such a plan and assurance was jettisoned.  

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While the BIVAS issue is still controversial, Senate President Ahmad Lawan while contributing to a motion sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the controversies trailing the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, said the Electoral Act, 2022, did not provide for electronic transmission of election results. 

The President of the Senate, said that what was passed by the National Assembly was snapping of election results and transfering to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Lawan urged any one who was not satisfied with the verdict of INEC to go to court but not cause trouble in the country.

Senator Oloriegbe, in his motion, asked the Senate to urge all political actors, leaders and every Nigerian to remain calm and allow collation and announcement of the presidential and National Assembly elections results to continue based on the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Senator Sani Musa, from Niger State, said that since Nigerians did not vote electronically, the issue of asking INEC to transmit it electronically was unnecessary because the Electoral Act didn’t mandate the electoral body to do so.

However, the debate generated controversy among the lawmakers along party lines, as the PDP senators disagreed and demanded that the motion be stepped down.

The Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, while contributing, asked the INEC to follow the Electoral Act or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Speaking, Senator Uche Ekwunife, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, representing Anambra Central, also insisted that INEC should be asked to stick to the Electoral Act.

Senator Biodun Olujimi, also a member of the opposition PDP, appealed for peace, urging Nigerians to wait patiently so that the matter would be resolved without plunging the country into avoidable chaos.

Furthermore, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of the ruling APC, while speaking on the issue, urged INEC to do the right thing based on the provisions of Electoral Act, appealing to Nigerians to be patient with INEC to complete the process.

He also called on the Judiciary to do the right thing, pointing out that as long as the right thing was done, all agitations would be assuaged and peace would reign.

Deputy Senate Whip, Aliyu Sabi, in his position, appealed to Nigerians to allow the process to proceed so that democracy would be strengthened.

Many of the lawmakers made contributions, in support of the motion, leading to its approval, after the President of the Senate put it to voice vote.

With what has transpired, the 10th assembly has a lot of work to do on the electoral act if Nigeria must deal with the voter apathy that will follow the 2023 presidential and the National Assembly elections.