The Senate Minority Caucus has clarified that the Senate did not reject the electronic transmission of election results before passing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, contrary to widespread media reports.
The clarification came on Thursday, barely 24 hours after the upper chamber came under intense criticism following reports that lawmakers had rejected proposals on electronic transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote buyers and other electoral offenders.
Shortly after the reports went viral on Wednesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed the claims as misleading, insisting that lawmakers retained provisions on electronic transmission as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act. He explained that the distinction made during plenary was necessary to avoid legal and operational ambiguities.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the caucus was compelled to address what he described as a widespread misunderstanding of the Senate’s proceedings.
“Since yesterday, the media has been awash with reports suggesting that the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of election results. That is not correct,” Abaribe said.
“To put the record straight, the Senate did not — I repeat, did not — reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.”
He explained that what the Senate ultimately passed was the electronic transmission of results, a position he said was also clearly stated by the Senate President during plenary.
Abaribe stressed that senators hold public trust on behalf of their constituencies, adding that the caucus considered it necessary to clarify the issue in the interest of transparency and accountability.
“We came here under the trust of our senatorial districts. When it appears that our actions have been misunderstood, it becomes necessary to clarify exactly what happened,” he said.
He further outlined the legislative process that led to the decision, beginning with the work of the joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on electoral matters.
According to him, the joint committee held several retreats within and outside Abuja, with participation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations.
“At the end of those retreats, everyone agreed that electronic transmission of results was the way to go. That position was reflected in the reports presented to both chambers,” Abaribe said.
He added that the process involved extensive debates, public hearings and consultations, describing electronic transmission of results as a core and non-negotiable provision of electoral reform.
Following the submission of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters’ report, Abaribe said an ad hoc committee was constituted to further review the document, culminating in the decision passed by the Senate.
