Following the controversy trailing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by the National Assembly, Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has said that he championed the recommendation for the usage of electronic transmission of results during elections in the country by the Senate Commitee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC
In a statement, titled: “Setting the records straight on electronic transmission of election results: My standpoint”, he denied “the spreading misinformation” that he was absent at the plenary during the consideration of the committee’s report on the bill, saying he was at the emergency meeting held earlier at Room 223 alongside some commitee members on INEC nominees before they proceeded to the chamber for the day’s plenary.
The lawmaker emphasized that he “supported the proposed amendment of the Electoral Act to allow for the electronic transmission of results by INEC” as a member of the committee that recommended that reviewed amendment bill.
Senator Ubah, who is the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP in the November 6 Anambra State governorship election, informed that he walked out of the Red Chamber during consideration of the committee report after the Senate President Dr Ahmad Lawan ruled him out of order to make a personal explanation in support of the electronic transmission of votes by the INEC.
“In line with parliamentary practice, I walked out of the Senate Chambers in protest to register my displeasure; hence my absence during the voting session. Before walking out of the Senate Chambers, I didn’t fail to tell the Senate President how disappointed I was by his action.
“It is my earnest belief that the use of technology in elections can significantly improve the efficiency and transparency of electoral conducts in Nigeria.
“Undoubtedly, the adoption of electronic transmission of electoral results can serve as an effective/viable solution to the chaotic, manipulative and violently disruptive process that has characterized manual collation of votes in Nigeria,” he stressed.
The governorship hopeful noted that electronic transmission of results directly from the polling units to INEC’s central server, which he said he had always advocated for, “will significantly reduce rigging and brazen manipulation of electoral results at collation centers.”
He, however, reassured his constituents and Nigerians at large of his unwavering commitment to deepening the nation’s democracy through the instrumentality of the legislature, stressing that he would continue to support and fashion out legislative interventions that will consolidate the democratic gains recorded so far in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Bilkisu Pai
