Nigeria’s Senate Minority Caucus said Thursday that the upper chamber did not reject electronic transmission of election results, pushing back against widespread media reports that lawmakers had voted against the measure.
The clarification came a day after reports sparked criticism of the Senate, suggesting it had rejected provisions allowing electronic transmission of results and imposing a 10-year ban on vote-buying and other electoral offenses in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio had earlier dismissed the reports as misleading, saying the Senate retained electronic transmission as provided under the 2022 Electoral Act to avoid legal and operational confusion.
Speaking to reporters, former Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe said the caucus was compelled to address what he described as a misunderstanding of proceedings during Wednesday’s plenary session.
“The Senate did not — I repeat, did not — reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act,” Abaribe said. “What the Senate passed was electronic transmission of election results.”
He said the position was also clarified by the Senate president during plenary, adding that confusion may have arisen due to movement and noise in the chamber at the time the decision was taken.
Abaribe said lawmakers considered it necessary to clarify the issue in the interest of transparency and public trust.
He outlined the legislative process leading to the decision, noting that a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral matters held several retreats, with participation from the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society groups. He said there was broad agreement during those consultations that electronic transmission of results was essential.
According to Abaribe, the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters later submitted its report, after which an ad hoc committee chaired by Sen. Sadiq Umar was constituted to further review the document. The committee’s findings were discussed during a closed-door session aimed at resolving outstanding issues before final passage of the bill.
He said the Senate, the standing committee and the ad hoc committee unanimously agreed to retain electronic transmission of results, as contained in the bill.
Abaribe said a harmonization committee would later reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, particularly on timelines. However, he said the Senate has not yet adopted its Votes and Proceedings, a procedural step required before harmonization can begin.
“Only after that can the harmonization committee meet,” he said, adding that the final document must accurately reflect the Senate’s approval of electronic transmission of results.
Abaribe said the provision was supported across party lines, describing transparent elections as the foundation of democracy.
“This is not a party matter,” he said. “If results are not transparent, then it is not democracy.”
The caucus said the Senate leadership would ensure due process is followed and that the final version of the bill reflects the will of the legislature.
