Abaribe: Senate Agreed on Electronic Transmission, Not Transfer, of Election Results

Speaking at a press conference alongside opposition lawmakers including former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Natasha Akpoti, Abaribe said there was a consensus across Senate committees and during an executive session on Section 60(3) of the Electoral Bill, which provides for electronic transmission.

“Yesterday, the Senate did not pass transfer of result but rather transmission of results,” Abaribe said. “Every one of us who is a senator and had the privilege to represent a Senatorial district came here under the trust of their Senatorial zone.”

He added that lawmakers were unanimous in their agreement during deliberations by the Senate’s electoral committee, the ad hoc committee, and the executive session. According to him, the intention of the Senate was clear and should not be distorted by ambiguous wording.

“I can assure you on my honour and the honour of all of us standing here that we all agreed on Section 60(3), which is the electronic transmission of results,” he said. “What is in the 2022 Act is ‘transfer,’ and we don’t want a law that is vague and can be misinterpreted by anybody, but a law that is concise, clear, and can be interpreted by all.”

The opposition lawmakers at the briefing insisted that electronic transmission of results is essential to improving transparency and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.