The Senate, on Tuesday, passed the Electoral Act, 2022, Repeal and Re-Enactment, Bill 2026, after intense deliberations and contentious division over Clause 60, concerning electronic transmission of election results.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe had called for division.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that revisiting previously ruled provisions would be out of order. The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, however, clarified that his motion for rescission validated Abaribe’s call for review.
During the division, 55 senators voted in support of maintaining the clause with its current proviso, while 15 opposition senators opposed it.
Following the vote, the Senate formally moved to rescind the earlier passage and referred the bill to the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration and reenactment.
The passage of the bill marks a crucial step in Nigeria’s electoral reform process, while ensuring that technical and logistical considerations are addressed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Apparently, while the lawmakers endorsed electronic transmission of results; the controversial proviso ensures that when electronic transmission fails, result could be transmitted manually.
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