Nigerian Senate Minority Caucus Clarifies Retention of Electronic Transmission in Electoral Act Amendment Bill

The Senate Minority Caucus in Nigeria has rejected assertions that the upper chamber of the National Assembly rejected electronic transmission of election results. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, clarified that the chamber retained the provision for electronic transmission in the 2022 Electoral Act to prevent legal operational ambiguities.

Former Senate Minority Leader, Sadiq Umar, explained that the Senate approved real-time electronic transmission of results during a plenary session. Abaribe, a member of the joint committee on electoral matters, highlighted the importance of electronic transmission for transparent and fair elections.

The Senate is yet to formally adopt the bill pending a harmonization process between the Senate and the House of Representatives versions. The Senate reaffirmed its commitment to supporting electronic transmission as a crucial democratic reform.