Senate Didn’t Scrap E-Voting Clause — Kingibe Sets The Record Straight

Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has refuted widespread claims that the Senate scrapped the electronic transmission provision in the Electoral Act 2022.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a post on (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker clarified that during the deliberation of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, the Senate retained the original electronic transmission clause without altering the existing framework.

“The Senate did not reverse electronic transmission of results as provided in the 2022 Electoral Act,” she affirmed.

Kingibe explained that the provision was the outcome of a collaborative process involving both the Senate and House of Representatives, with extensive input from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organizations.

“That clause was jointly agreed upon by the Senate and House committees, with full participation from INEC and civil society groups,” she added.

She further highlighted that electronic transmission had been consistently endorsed during legislative retreats aimed at reviewing Nigeria’s electoral laws.

“All retreats concluded that electronic transmission is the best approach for Nigeria,” Kingibe noted.

While the Senate maintained the electronic transmission provision, it rejected separate proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban for convicted vote buyers. Instead, lawmakers chose to uphold the current sanctions in the Electoral Act, which include fines or jail terms for electoral offenders.

Kingibe emphasized that any reports claiming the clause was reversed or removed misrepresent the proceedings in the Senate.

“Any claim of deviation is a misunderstanding of what was collectively passed,” she said.