NBA asks Senate to vote in favour of electronic transmission of election results
The National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association has called on the Nigerian Senate to reverse its position on the controversial amendment of the Electoral Act.
The NBA said it is important for the Senate to vote in favour of the electronic transmission of results.
According to the association, it has adopted a report by its president, Afam Osigwe, which strongly advised the National Assembly to vote in favour of the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The amendment seeks to compel a real-time electronic transmission of election results during elections across the country.
The NBA in a statement on Saturday said it held a meeting in Borno and deliberated on Osigwe’s report on the rejected proposal which would have mandated presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal immediately after Form EC8A had been duly signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.
The senate in its resolve retained the provision of the Electoral Act which mandates the PO to transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the commission.
However, in its resolution, the NBA executives expressed concerns that this could impede the foundation for transparent, real-time result transmission of results, thereby, creating room for manipulation, ambiguity, and post-election disputes.
“In adopting the President’s report, NEC resolved that the National Assembly must urgently revisit and pass the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) to expressly mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units.
“NEC emphasised that clear statutory compulsion, rather than discretionary phrasing, is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency, protecting the integrity of votes cast, and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process,” the NBA said.
It further called on Nigerian lawmakers to demonstrate legislative responsibility by taking the right steps towards compelling the electronic transmission of election results through their votes.
It also said that the NBA is committed to sustained engagement and advocacy to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral laws clearly reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot.
