Senate passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill in chaotic session

0
70

 

The Senate on Thursday approved the conditional electronic transmission of election results in the country.

This came after the upper legislative chamber was thrown into disorder as the lawmakers contested the amendment of Section 52(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, was unable to bring the lawmakers back to order, forcing the house to go into a closed-door session.

At the end of the closed-door session, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinaya Abaribe, called for voting in a bid to challenge the Senate President’s ruling on clause 52(3) on electronic transmission of election results.

Abaribe said he wants Nigerians to know who is voting for what.

The lawmakers voted along party lines over the controversial section.

At the end of voting, 28 Senators mostly from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) voted for the original amendment in the report while 52 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers voted for the amendment as proposed by Senator Sabi Abdullahi.

The development means the Senators had given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the go-ahead to adopt electronic transmission of election results provided the national network coverage is certified adequate by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National Assembly.

The motion on the new amendment, which was proposed by Senator Abdullahi and seconded by the Chairman of Senate Committee on the Nigerian Army, Senator Ali Ndume, provided that INEC may consider electronic transmission so far the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate by NCC and approved by the National Assembly.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here