UPDATED: APC Dominated Senate Rejects Electronic Transmission of Election Results
Members of the All Progressives Congress in the Senate on Thursday voted against electronic transmission of results.
The Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, in it's amendment of the electoral Act report, recommended in Section 52(3) that, INEC “may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
But an APC senator from Niger North, Sabi Abdullahi, amended the clause to read, “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.”
Members of the Committee on Communications had earlier informed the chamber that the NCC had declared that only 43 per cent of the country was currently under effective telecommunications coverage.
Senate President, Ibrahim Lawan, ruled in favour of the amendment when he conducted a voice vote.
There was a disagreement and the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, called for a division which would require individual voting on the floor.
Lawan sustained Abaribe’s point of order and called for a division.
At the end of the poll, 88 senators voted, while 28 were not available to vote.
The outcome of the election 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 Peoples Democratic Party members on the floor all voted in favour of electronic transmission of results by INEC without interference from either the NCC or the National Assembly.
The APC members, while casting their votes against the amendment, attributed their decision to the claim of the NCC that only 43 per cent of the country has network coverage.
The PDP senators, on the other hand, said allowing the NCC and the National Assembly to meddle in the affairs of INEC will affect the integrity of the polls.
The APC lawmakers who voted against electronic transmission of results include;
Ovie Omo-Agege (DSP)
Peter Nwaoboshi
Mohammed Ali Ndume
Opeyemi Bamidele
Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir
Mohammed Danjuma Goje
Yusuf Yusuf
Bomai Ibrahim Mohammed
Sahabi Yau
Uba Sani
Kabiru Gaya
Ishaku Elisha Abbo
Amhad Babba Kaita
Adamu Aliero
Yahaya Abdullahi
Yakubu Oseni
Isa Jibrin
Smart Adeyemi
Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe
Oluremi Tinubu
Solomon Adeola
Tanko Al-Makura
Godiya Akwashiki
Abdullahi Adamu
Mohammed Sani Musa
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Birma Mohammed Enagi
Senator Dadu’ut Ladi
Francis Alimikhena
Abubakar Kyari
Surajudeen Ajibola
Robert Ajayi Boroffice
Orji Uzor Kalu
Aderele Oriolowo
Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed
Degi Eremienyo
Ashiru Yisa
Bello Mandiya
Hezekiah Dimka Ayuba
Frank Ibezim
Kashim Shettima
Stephen Odeh
Shaibu Lau
Alkali Saidu
Amos Bulus
Danladi Sankara
Hadejia Hassan Ibrahim
Suleiman Abdul Kwari
Abdullahi Barkiya
Jika Dauda Haliru
Lawali Anka
Lawan Gamau
Those who voted that INEC should transmit election results electronically are;
Enyinnaya Abaribe
Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi
Clifford Ordia
Matthew Urhoghide
Gyang Istifanus
George Sekibo
Biodun Olujimi
Mpigi Barinada
Betty Apiafi
Philip Aduda
Chukwuka Utazi
Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba
Danjuma La’ah
Francis Onyewuchi
Patrick Ayo Akinyelure
Kola Balogun
Eyankeyi Akon Etim
Christopher Ekpenyong
Seriake Dickson
Cleopas Zuwoghe
Emmanuel Orker-jev
Sandy Onor
Gershom Bassey
James Manager
Obinna Ogba
Sam Egwu
Nnachi Ama Micheal
Bassey Albert Bassey
YES: 28
NO: 52
ABSENT: 28
TOTAL VOTES: 80
Total number of Senators: 109
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