2023: Northern Senators working to stop transmission of electronic results – Investigation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may yet not being able to transmit electronic results of elections in 2023 general election as part of its resolve to conduct free, fair and transparent election, if the mood of some Senators of the northern extraction was anything to go by.

The 9th National Assembly has been frantically working to amend the Electoral Act which the upper and lower Chambers admitted, the amendment was sancrosanct to conducting free and fair election in 2023.

But, CAPITAL POST can authoritatively report that there will be twist to a very important clause that deal with the umpire having power statutorily to transmit the result electronically, as some Senators from the North who are of the ruling All Progressives Congress are waiting to ambush “electronic transfer of results” on Tuesday, July 6.

CAPITAL POST also gathered that the rejection of the electronic transfer clause was arrived at a meeting of Northern Senators which was held at the instance of a Senator and former governor of a North West State.

Speaking under anonymity, a ranking Senator from the North East wondered how possible would the electronic transfer of results be, given that his own zone has network challenges as a result of vandalised infrastructure by terrorists. He feared that, if allowed the result of election could be manipulated from Abuja, adding that the climate was not conducive for that for now.

His reaction was in anticipation that the Committee Chairman on INEC in the Senate and former governor of Kano State, Senator Kabiru Gaya will submit his report on Tuesday, even as Senators were set to carry out the Electoral Act amendment before proceeding on long vacation for 2021.

A principal officer from the Southern part of Nigeria, who revealed that he has seen and studied the panel’s report, but strongly pleaded anonymity vowed to raise a point of order suggesting for “electronic transfer of results”.

According to him, he said he belongs to the ruling All Progressive Congress, but the envisaged amendment of the Act wasn’t about any political party or individual, but about the interest of the nation, noting that they would challenge the contrary.

He said: “I have spotted a dangerous clause in the report that is contrary to having electronic transfer of results and I felt what a world we are?”

“That the report specifically stop the INEC from transmitting results electronically?

According to him, some elements are afraid of free and fair election and are interested in rigging election in 2023 and beyond.

The lawmaker cited an instance of how a recent election which was transferred electronically was made credible in the South, vowing that some of them would stand their grounds.