National Assembly Panel to Meet Over Electoral Bill Harmonisation

The National Assembly panel is scheduled to meet on Monday, February 16, to harmonize the Electoral Amendment Bill. Lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives have been given a one-week deadline to reconcile contentious clauses, especially those concerning electronic transmission of election results.

The panel, led by former Bayelsa State Governor and Senate Committee member Seriake Dickson, aims to address issues surrounding electoral transparency. The Senate President, Godswil Akpabio, plans to transmit the harmonized bill to President Bola Tinubu for approval by the end of the month.

The debate over electronic transmission has been a focal point, with INEC accused of failing to upload presidential election results promptly. The House version of the bill includes provisions for real-time transmission, while the Senate's version allows for manual transmission in case of technological failures.