Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the National Assembly did not reject electronic transmission of election results but only retained the provision as contained in the Electoral Act 2022, warning that mandatory real-time transmission could be affected by network and power failures.
Akpabio spoke in Abuja at the unveiling of a book, The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, authored by former senator Effiong Bob, amid public backlash over the Senate’s decision to drop a proposal mandating real-time electronic transmission of results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
He explained that lawmakers merely removed the phrase “real time” from the provision to avoid legal complications that could arise from network outages or national grid failures during elections.
“The Senate has not removed any means of transmission,” Akpabio said, stressing that results could still be transmitted electronically or conveyed through other lawful methods.
According to him, making real-time transmission compulsory could invalidate election results in areas affected by insecurity, poor network coverage, or power disruptions, adding that such rigidity could trigger avoidable litigation.
Akpabio said the amendment was designed to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the flexibility to determine the most suitable mode and timing of result transmission based on prevailing realities.
However, former Senate President and national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, disagreed with Akpabio’s position, insisting that the National Assembly should not speak on behalf of INEC.
“Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don’t speak for INEC,” Mark said, adding that public demand remains focused on transparent elections through electronic transmission of results.
While acknowledging the importance of the debate, Mark maintained that electoral reforms should prioritise credibility and transparency over legislative caution.
