The senate and the house of representatives has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and approved the electronic transmission of results as well as direct party primaries.
The lawmakers endorsed the bill yesterday when they resumed plenary after a three-week break.
The report was approved after the senate leader, Mr. Yahaya Abdullahi, moved a motion.
The senate and house of representatives had in July passed different versions of the bill.
While the senate proposed either direct or indirect mode of party primary, the house of representatives made direct primary mandatory for all parties.
The senate had also in its version, empowered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to determine the electronic transmission of election results.
The house, for its part, did not give such powers to the NCC in its version.
The provision caused an outrage, with many calling on the Senate to follow the example of the house which adopted the use of technology “where practicable.”
The senate, however bowed to pressure in October and gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the sole power to determine the mode of transmission of results.
A seven-man conference committee was then constituted by the senate to meet with members of the house of representatives conference committee to harmonise the differences in the senate and house versions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Under a new amendment of Clause 52 (2) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the senate resolved that “voting at an election and transmission of results under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission, which may include electronic voting.”
INEC’s approval to decide the mode of election result transmission was a reversal of the senate’s previous decision that the commission may consider the electronic transmission of results “provided national (network) coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure” by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the national assembly.
A clean copy of the bill is expected to be produced and sent by the clerk to the national assembly, Mr. Amos Ojo to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
