Electoral Act amendment: Senate could make e-transmission votes public – Sen Ningi
Senator Ningi Suggests Senate May Disclose Votes on Electronic Transmission of Election Results
The Nigerian Senate may consider making public the voting records of lawmakers regarding the contentious electronic transmission of election results, according to Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central.
Ningi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, ahead of an emergency plenary session scheduled for Tuesday. This session comes in response to growing public criticism surrounding the Senate’s handling of the recent amendment to the Electoral Act.
When asked if Nigerians might have access to records showing which senators supported or opposed real-time electronic transmission, Ningi indicated that such transparency is permissible under the Senate’s rules. “I think it’s possible. It depends on the presiding officer because the law provides that,” he stated.
The senator elaborated on the potential process for transparency, suggesting that senators could verbally declare their positions on the matter for record-keeping. “You can stand up and say, ‘I, Ningi, accept e-transmission in real time.’ I sit down. It’s recorded, and that is the only way we need to move forward,” he explained.
Ningi attributed some of the controversy surrounding the amendment to deficiencies in the official records maintained during the deliberations. He emphasized the need for clarity on what was documented in the votes and proceedings related to the amendment.
“ One thing that is very important is that the votes and proceedings have not been captured. So tomorrow, we need to look at what the votes and proceedings captured are. Is it a transfer?” he remarked.
He also raised concerns over the amendment process, questioning its handling in the Senate. “There was a motion for amendment by Manguno, and then the question was put. Who asked the question? Why was the question raised?” Ningi asked, indicating a demand for clearer deliberation on such significant issues.
“Was it discussed? It is important that when you bring a motion on something that you have no idea of, one of the reasons why maybe people are not so happy is that the Senate President should have asked us as a committee, ‘Please, educate us on this issue that this Moguna has raised,’” he added.
As public scrutiny continues to escalate, the Senate is expected to reconvene on Tuesday to address the contentious issue of electronic transmission of election results.
