Electoral amendment bill: Dramatic moments at the Upper Chamber

By Yusuf Olawale

Not fewer than 28 senators mostly from the People’s Democratic Party have registered their displeasure over the tussle for the transmission of election results through electronic means.

Trouble started amongst the senators when the senator representing Niger North, Sabi Abdullahi, amended Section 52(3) of the electoral which had earlier stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, “may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”

Mr. Abdullahi amended the section to read that INEC, “may consider electronic collation of results, provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secured by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.”

As part of his defense statements was that the National Communications Commission had declared that only 43 percent of the country was viable for effective telecommunications coverage.

This, however, did not go well with the opposition party, as it prompted the Minority leader, Senator Abaribe to call for a division that would require individual voting on the floor. The Senate President on his point of fairness sustained Abaribe’s point of order and the call for the division was sustained.
Indoor voting of 88 senators from the two major political houses took place in the upper chamber as a result of the point of order called by the Minority leader.

The outcome of the voting did not go well with the PDP senators as the polls showed that 52 APC senators, including the chairman of the Senate INEC committee, Kabiru Gaya, voted against the panel’s report, which gives the electoral umpire the sole power to determine the practicability of electronic transmission of results.

The PDP senators polled 28 votes coming short of 24 votes as compared to their counterparts in the ruling All Progressives Congress. This ostensibly left the PDP senators with no option other than to vacate the upper chamber.

The disgruntled PDP senators in their claims stated that giving room for NCC and National Assembly will harm the integrity of the general elections come 2023.