Sen Kingibe clarifies Senate did not reverse electronic transmission of election results

Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has clarified that the Senate did not reverse the provision on electronic transmission of election results contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

On Wednesday, the Senate considered the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and retained the existing provision for electronic transmission of results. During deliberations, the upper chamber also rejected proposals for real-time transmission from polling units and a 10-year ban on vote buyers, opting to maintain existing sanctions, which include fines or imprisonment.

In a post on X on Thursday, Kingibe, a member of the Labour Party (LP), emphasized that the provision was jointly agreed upon by the Senate and House committees, following consultations with INEC and civil society organisations.

“The Senate did not reverse electronic transmission of results as provided in the 2022 Electoral Act,” she wrote.

The senator noted that the provision emerged from a consultative legislative process involving key stakeholders, with deliberations at multiple legislative retreats affirming electronic transmission as the best option for Nigeria.

“Any claim of deviation is a misunderstanding of what was collectively passed,” Kingibe added.