Nigeria’s Senate Rejects Mandatory E-Transmission of Election Results
The Nigerian Senate has rejected proposals for the electronic transmission of election results and a 10-year ban on vote buyers, opting instead to maintain existing sanctions of fines or jail terms.
The Senate retained the provision for electronic transfer of election results as contained in the Electoral 2022 Act, rejecting a proposal that would have made real-time electronic transmission compulsory .
The rejected provision, recommended by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, proposed sanctions ranging from a fine of ₦5 million to a two-year imprisonment and a 10-year ban from contesting elections for individuals found guilty of vote buying.
However, Senators argued that the 10-year ban was “too grievous” and disproportionate to the offence . Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission entirely, but rather retained the existing provision allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of transmission.
Akpabio emphasized that the Senate’s decision should not be misconstrued as rejecting electronic transmission, but rather as maintaining flexibility in the electoral process .
The decision has been met with criticism from civil society groups and opposition parties, who argue that electronic transmission is crucial for ensuring transparency and preventing electoral manipulation.
The Labour Party described the decision as “retrogressive” and “anti-people”, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned it as “shameful” and “harmful to democracy”.
The Senate also approved a reduction in the timeline for the conduct of elections, with INEC required to issue notice of elections at least 180 days before polling day, instead of the previous 360 days. The nomination of candidates is now required to close 90 days before the election. #Nigeria’s Senate Rejects Mandatory E-Transmission of Election Results#
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