Friday, March 29, 2024

Senate backtracks, adopts electronic transmission of election results

Asks political parties to determine mode of holding primaries

Uba Group

BY ROTIMI DUROJAIYE

The Senate on Tuesday reversed its earlier posture on the power of the Independent National Electoral Commission to carry out electronic transmission of election results.

The red chamber has reamended the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 202I, to allow INEC determine the procedure for the transmission of election results.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly has also asked political parties to determine the modality for holding primaries for aspirants to all elective positions.

The amendments were made to some clauses of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2021, earlier passed on July 15, 2021.

The upper chamber explained that the decision to subject the amended clauses of the Bill to re-committal was reached after critical examination by its Committee on INEC.

It added that some fundamental issues which required fresh legislative action were observed by the Senator Kabiru Gaya-led Committee in the legislation.

Accordingly, the Senate in a motion for re-committal, re-amended certain aspects of the Bill contained in clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87, respectively.

Members of the Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021, are expected to meet with their counterparts in the House of Representatives to harmonise the two versions passed by both chambers.

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.

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