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Tag: E-Transmission

  • PDP Governors insist on E-Transmission of results

    PDP Governors insist on E-Transmission of results

    Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have called on the national assembly to approve the electronic transmission of election results.

    PDP Governors who released a ten-point -communique at the end of its meeting in Bauchi, the state capital on Monday July 26, called on the National Assembly to entrench Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence and also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy appropriate technologies necessary to ensure votes of all Nigerians count.

    Chairman of PDP Governors’ forum, Waziri Tambuwa said:

    “On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Governors identified the need for a free, fair and credible elections in the country and called on the National Assembly to entrench Electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence.”

  • E-Transmission: Your action did not represent Nigerians interest, NGO tells NASS

    E-Transmission: Your action did not represent Nigerians interest, NGO tells NASS

    By Leo Nzwanke, Lafia

    National Coordinator, advocacy for Quality Leadership and Health awareness Foundation, Engneer Anselm Ijebor has faulted the rejection of the Electronic Transmission of election results by the National Assembly.

    Ijebor disclosed this in an interview with news men in Lafia explaining the action of the Lawmakers as not only inimical but a calculated attempt to institutionalize electoral fraud, self centeredness as well as a subjugation of the wishes of the people they represent.

    “How can the National Assembly members elected by their people to represent them turn against their interest, kick against the proposed electorial system, that could have taken the nation out of its present electorial predicament.

    Voting against transmission of election results electronically is a clear demostration of the lawmakers to callously truncate the nation’s democratic system. Nigerians will hold them accountable if their decision is not reverted”, Ijebor declared.

    Mr. Ijebor said the time has come for the National Assembly to justify the huge investment of the tax payers money giving to them, warning that any attempt by the lawmakers to subvert this purported electoral system, should not be allowed to degenerate any further than this,hence this intended aberration should be vehemently resisted.

    Speaking further, Mr Anslem uphold on the view that the #ENDSARS protest that hit the nation would be minor if the Assembly members do not repent and respect the wishes of the generality of the electorate whom they represent or else they would be calling for unprecedented uproar.

    While advising that 2023 which will determine the cooperate existence of the country should not be toyed with, considering the danger ahead of the Assembly’s body language, the NGO boss said attempts by the federal lawmakers to further muzzle the democratic rights of the people would spark off another youth unrest that cannot be contained not even by the most sophisticated military armouries..

    “Our elected representatives must have the socio-political consciousness to know and work according to the right of other Nigerians, where they can make demands to reclaim the country and ensure the sustenance of it’s democratic values and norms.

    “What happened during the #EndSARS protest should be a signal that the government has failled the nation, as such nothing should be done to trigger another unrest. Our representatives must live to meet the yearning, aspirations and desires of the people”, Engineer Ijebor said.

    “An average Nigerian should be inspired by those representing them rather than throwing them into a socialist state,” Ijebor stated.”

    The National coordinator who is also a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Fellow of Nigeria Technologist in Engineering fiercely called on the National Assembly to engage and obtain the mandate of their constituencies before taking decisions he described as hasty and counterproductive, especially in the area of the nation’s electoral system.

  • Why Senate Voted For E-Transmission Of Results With Conditions – Lawan

    Why Senate Voted For E-Transmission Of Results With Conditions – Lawan

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has advanced reasons to justify the position taken by the Senate on the electronic transmission of election results.

    The Senate on Thursday, while considering the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, voted that “The Commission(INEC) may consider the electronic transmission of results, provided the national coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National Assembly.”

    Lawan explained that the Upper Chamber voted the way it did in defense of about half of the Nigerian voters whose votes may not be counted with immediate deployment or application of electronic transmission of election results.

    The Senate President spoke to journalists at the weekend while on a constituency visit to his Yobe North Senatorial District.

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    Asked to comment on the passage of the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, Lawan said: “I’m happy that we have been able to pass the amendment even though some people are complaining of what we have passed in the Senate and probably what the House of Representatives has also passed.

    “When the majority of Senators voted against immediate application or deployment of electronic transmission of results from the polling units, to the ward, to the local government, states and federal, they didn’t say they do not believe in electronic transmission (of election results).

    “All of us in the Senate, 109 of us, believe that at one point, our electoral process must deploy electronic transmission so that it eases and enhances the electoral process and give it more credibility and integrity.

    “But you see, when you have not reached that stage where you could deploy the electronic transmission from every part of the country, then you have to be very careful. And no matter what anybody may say, you cannot have about 50 percent of Nigerian voters not participating or not getting their votes counted in elections and say it doesn’t matter, that we have to start the electronic transmission.

    “We know the evils of not transmitting results electronically but compare the evils of electronically transmitting just half of the electoral votes from Nigerians and say you have elected a President with 50 percent only.

    “And others have voted but their results or their votes could not be electronically transmitted. This is disenfranchising Nigerians and we are not going to support this kind of thing because essentially, we are supposed to be fair to every part of Nigeria and when we voted, every part of Nigeria voted for and against(the amendment).

    “What I mean here is that you have Senators from the northern part of Nigeria who voted for electronic transmission. Maybe that is their belief or their environment is ready for electronic transmission. And you have Senators from the southern part of Nigeria who voted against the immediate deployment of electronic transmission but they support that the electronic transmission of results should be allowed after certain conditions are met and the conditions are simple: The National Communication Commission(NCC) had provided the technical information that only NCC could give – that only about 50 percent of the Nigerian environment, the polling units, in the country could possibly have their results electronically transmitted.

    “So what happens to the other 50 percent. So we believe that all of us in the Senate were aiming at the same target but chose to go through different routes and that is why in my concluded remarks in the Senate after the debate and voting, I said there was no Victor, no Vanquish because we all meant well.

    “And for those Nigerians who still feel that the electronic transmission should have just been allowed to take effect, I said well, this is how democracy works. Democracy is to allow those minority views to be expressed and democracy provides that the majority views will always prevail.”

    The Senate President faulted some media reports that insinuated that only the APC Senators voted against the immediate application of the electronic transmission of results.

    He said the votes cast on either side of the subject matter cut across party lines and regional divides.

    “In this respect, it was not just APC. I have seen it reported in the media that only APC Senators voted against the immediate deployment of electronic transmission.

    “There are PDP Senators who voted against that but it appears that some people want to target APC Senators. There were PDP Senators who voted against the immediate deployment. I’m using the word ‘immediate’ with an emphasis.

    “Nobody said don’t use electronic transmission at all. You use it when we reach there and only NCC can give you information. That is the main reason why, in the Senate version, clause 52(3), there is that provision to contact the NCC because INEC will not know until they go to NCC.

    “So NCC will be the only institution to give that information because they are competent and it’s within their jurisdiction. And we say the National Assembly should approve of it.

    “It is not when they want to do transmission that they will have to go to National Assembly that we want to do the transmission. No. That once NCC has told INEC is now ready. INEC should come to the National Assembly with the NCC and say we are now ready.

    “There is no way any National Assembly, not even this Ninth National Assembly will deny INEC the use of electronic transmission as part of our electoral process when we are ready for it,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President said it was wrong to conclude that Senators who voted for electronic transmission with conditions did not like the results transmitted electronically.

    “I want to take this opportunity to debunk that insinuation or outright castigation of Senators that voted against the immediate deployment of electronic transmission that they don’t like the electronic transmission. It is not true.

    “Even though I didn’t vote. But I believe that what my colleagues did is binding on all of us in the Senate. 28 against 52…l believe that what we have done requires that the Senate and the House will each constitute a conference committee. What we call harmonisation for the two sides. When we harmonise, then we will send it to Mr President,” Lawan said.