The Nigerian Senate may have adopted an amendment in the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2021 that allows the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to determine if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be allowed to proceed with electronic voting on the eve of the general elections based on the NCC’s assessment and National Assembly approval.
This followed a proposal by Senator Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North seeking an amendment to Sections 52(2) and 52(3) of the report which proposed electronic voting and transmission of results.
Section 52(2) states that “The Commission may adopt electronic voting or any other method of voting in any election it conducts as it may deem fit.”
Section 52(3) states that “The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
However, the amendment proposed reads: “The Commission may consider the electronic transmission of results provided that the national coverage is adjudged secured by the NCC and approved by the NASS.”
The amendment was seconded by the Senator representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume.
When put to vote, the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan ruled that the majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of the amendment.
There was uproar on the floor of the Red Chamber which resulted in the Senate dissolving into a closed-door session as a sizeable number of senators who faulted the Senate President’s ruling threatened a walkout.
Lawmakers had on Thursday commenced clause by clause consideration of the report of its Committee on INEC on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021.