The Nigerian Bar Association has warned that the Senate’s refusal to mandate electronic transmission of election results poses a serious threat to credible elections and democratic accountability.
The warning was contained in an executive report presented by NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, at the association’s National Executive Council meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday, February 5.
Addressing the council, Osigwe said the Senate rejected a proposed amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill that sought to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit polling unit results electronically in real time.
“Yesterday, the Senate rejected a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill aimed at compelling the electronic transmission of election results,” Osigwe said.
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He explained that the amendment would have required INEC presiding officers to upload polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal immediately after Form EC8A had been signed and stamped.
According to the NBA president, the Senate instead retained the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
Following deliberations, the NBA NEC resolved that the National Assembly should revisit the decision and clearly mandate electronic transmission of results.
“The NBA NEC resolved that the National Assembly should vote in favour of the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill aimed at compelling the electronic transmission of election results,” the report stated.
The association warned that failing to expressly provide for electronic transmission would continue to create room for disputes, weaken public confidence in elections and fuel post-election litigation.