The Senate Minority Caucus has dismissed media reports claiming that the National Assembly rejected the electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday at the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), leader of the opposition lawmakers, clarified that the Senate did not vote against electronic transmission. Instead, it refined and strengthened the language of the provision to ensure clarity.
“What the Senate passed is a clear provision for the electronic transmission of results, replacing the vague term ‘transfer’ used in the 2022 Electoral Act, which was open to misinterpretation,” Abaribe explained.
He revealed that an ad hoc Senate committee has reviewed the electoral reform report and addressed outstanding issues in a closed executive session before returning to plenary.
The Senator further clarified that the harmonisation process between the Senate and House versions of the bill is still ongoing.
The Senate must first formally adopt its Votes and Proceedings before the conference committee can convene.
On Wednesday, the Senate established a conference committee to reconcile differences between its version of the Electoral Amendment Bill and that of the House of Representatives, marking a key step toward finalising the legislation.
