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