Wetin dey happun wit di Electoral Act amendment wey concern electronic transmission of results from polling units?

Di amendment of di Electoral Act wey di Nigerian Senate pass don cause plenty tok-tok since di tori of di passage come out.

Initial tori be say di Senate reject di part of di amendment wey concern electronic transmission of votes from polling units.

Though di senate don come out to explain wetin dem do, dat explanation no dey enta.

Many politicians and dia political parties, including election monitoring groups still dey react to wetin di Senators do.

Di Nigeria House of Representatives don set up one nine-man committee wey go review di Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill wey di Nigerian Senate pass.

One statement wey di tok-tok pesin for di House of Reps Akin Rotimi issue on Thursday, tok say di review na to strengthen di committee capacity to harmonise areas of difference between di versions of bill wey both chambers of di National Assembly pass.

Di committee wey Adebayo Balogun, di house of rep member wey dey represent Ibeju-Lekki federal constituency dey lead, go discuss wit dia counterpart from di senate and try to harmonise di contradicting provisions of di Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill wey di two chambers pass ahead of di final legislative action.

Dem set up dis committee afta dem say di senate position on di electoral bill wey dem pass, dey different from dia own, as dem adopt and pass amendments wey provide for compulsory electronic transmission of result, downloadable voters card plus di retention of existing timeline for key electoral activities.

Na on Wednesday, 4 February, di Nigerian Senate bin pass di Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through di third reading.

However, tori come out say dem no approve di proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of di bill, wey want make di electronic transmission of election results compulsory.

Di rejected provision for make am compulsory for di presiding officers of di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to di IREV portal in real time.

Dis na afta di presiding officer for don sign and stamp di prescribed Form EC&A, and candidates too don countersign am.

Tori also add say Instead, di Senate bin adopt di existing provision of di Electoral Act, wey tok say "di presiding officer shall transfer di results, wey include di total number of accredited voters and di results of di ballot, for manner as prescribed by di Commission."

For inside one joint statement wey di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), di African Democratic Congress (ADC) and di New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issue on Thursday, dem describe di decision as shameful, regressive plus deliberate attempt to weaken di kontri electoral process.

Tok-tok pesins for di opposition parties Ini Ememobong (factional PDP), Bolaji Abdulahi (ADC), and Bamofin Johnson (NNPP), say dis bill wey dem pass fit derail di kontri hard earned democracy.

"Wit dis anti-pipo and anti-democratic action, we dey concerned say, di APC-led Senate fit don set Nigeria democracy back by many decades. E no therefore dey surprising say e don attract widespread opposition and condemnation from Nigerians across all divides".

Dem urge di committee to align themselves wit di Nigerian people by adopting di position of di house of reps on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

Di senator wey dey represent Kogi Central for di senate Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for one post on her social media account tok say she support electronic transmission of results, as failure to input am na "lethal assault to Nigeria democracy," she tok.

Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo wey also raise alarm say wetin di senate pass no be reform. "Na betrayal of public trust plus deliberate attempt to weaken all di guardrails for credible elections".

E add say di electoral bill wey di senate pass reject electronic transmission of results, block di download of electronic voter cards from INEC website, reduce notice of election from 360 days to 180 days, cuts down timeline for publishing list of candidates from 150 days to 60 days, and e worry say these compressed timelines go increase di risk of logistics problems during elections.

Meanwhile, di senate don clear am say dem no reject di electronic transmission of election results bifor dem pass di Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, contrary to widespread media reports.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe wey tok on behalf of opposition Senators insist say di senate approve di electronic transmission of election results in real time, as e say make Nigerians ignore media reports wey suggest otherwise.

For one media briefing for di National Assembly on Thursday, alongside 13 serving senators, Oga Abaribe clear am say di senate no pass di "transfer" of results as contained in di 2022 Electoral Act, but rather dem approve di electronic transmission of results.

"I dey concerned about reports for di media, and dat na why we decide to make dis clarification. Wetin we pass na di electronic transmission of results. I need to make dis very clear," e tok.

Oga Abaribe wey be former senate minority leader tok say di senate decision follow extensive legislative process wey involve consultations wit di kontri electoral body, Inec, and civil society organisations (CSOs).

E add say di process bin also involve extensive debates, public hearings, and consultations, as e describe di electronic transmission of results as important, non-negotiable provision.

According to am, one joint committee of di National Assembly bin hold several retreats wit di stakeholders, afta which dem reach consensus say both di House of Representatives and di Senate go adopt di electronic transmission of election results.

E add say di senate bin later set up one ad hoc committee to review di electoral reform report.

"Dem consider di report during one closed-door session. I fit assure you, on my honour, say during di executive session, all of us agree on electronic transmission of results in real time. For plenary yesterday, we also pass am," e tok.

Abaribe say di controversy bin rise during di plenary session, even though di Senate President Godswill Akpabio bin clear am for di floor of di house say electronic transmission of results dey approved.

E note say although di senate bin adjourn afta di plenary, dem neva adopt di Votes and Proceedings yet, wey e describe as necessary procedural step bifor di conference committee go fit meet to harmonise di Senate and House versions of di bill.

"One more step still dey for di senate to take. Until dem adopt di Votes and Proceedings, di conference committee no fit take place. Either di House or di Senate version gatz dey adopted. Plenty senators across party lines dey wit us," e tok.