Senate, in a reversal, adopts electronic transmission of election results

The Senate on Tuesday made a U-turn on the recently-passed Electoral Amendment Bill, wherein it had earlier rejected plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results of elections electronically.

The decision of the Senate followed the re-committal of some clauses of the Electoral Act 2010 to the Committee of the Whole.

In July, the Senate rejected its Committee’s report, which had approved electronic transmission of results by INEC. The House of Representatives, however, approved it.

In a face-saving move, the Senate, on Tuesday, said that after critical examination of the Bill by the Senate Committee on INEC, some fundamental issues which require fresh legislative action on clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87, were observed.

Desirous of the need to address the observations by the committee and make necessary amendments, and relying on Order 1(b) and 53(6) of the Senate Standing Order, accordingly resolves to rescind its decision on the affected clauses of the Bill as passed and re-commit same to the Committee of the Whole for consideration and passage, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi stated while moving the motion.