Ningi says Senate can vote openly on real-time e-transmission

By Goli Innocent

Senator Abdul Ningi has said that the Senate can conduct an open, recorded vote on the controversial issue of real-time electronic transmission of election results if the presiding officer allows it.

The Bauchi Central lawmaker made the remark on Channels Television’s Politics Today ahead of the Senate’s emergency plenary session, convened amid nationwide backlash over amendments to the Electoral Act.

Asked whether Nigerians could be allowed to see how each senator voted on the matter, Ningi said the law permits such transparency.

“I think it’s possible. It depends on the presiding officer,” he said.
“A senator can stand up and say, ‘I accept real-time e-transmission.’ It is recorded, and that is the way forward.”

Ningi argued that the controversy emanates from the manner in which the amendment was handled, insisting that votes and proceedings were not clearly captured during deliberations.

He also faulted the leadership for failing to adequately brief lawmakers before a motion was taken on the floor.

“This issue should have been properly explained to senators before any question was put,” he said.

The senator rejected claims that the disagreement was driven by party politics, stressing that support for electronic transmission cuts across party lines.

“This is not a party affair. APC governors, PDP stakeholders everyone is saying e-transmission,” he said.

Ningi expressed concern over what he described as the blanket condemnation of the Senate, noting that a majority of lawmakers support the position earlier adopted by the House of Representatives.

The Senate has faced heavy criticism since it removed the phrase “real-time” from provisions mandating electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the decision, arguing that retaining the phrase could create legal complications in the event of network failures.

However, protesters on Monday stormed the National Assembly, demanding that lawmakers reinstate “real-time electronic transmission” in the legislation.