Yiaga Africa has urged federal lawmakers in Nigeria to ensure that the final version of the Electoral Act Amendment bill reflects the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

The Senate and the House of Representatives passed different versions of the bill in July 2021.

The bill seeks to resolve issues tied to the introduction of modern technologies into the electoral process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Particularly, the bill seeks to resolve issues that concern accreditation of voters, electronic voting, and electronic transmission of results from polling units.

Section 52, which deals with electronic transmission of results of elections, is a controversial provision in the bill.

In the version passed by the upper house, Senate, the section was changed from ‘The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable’ to ‘The Commission may consider electronic transmission provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly’.

However, the House of Representatives retained the former as presented by its committee on electoral matters.

Development Diaries understands that the bill still needs to be harmonised by the joint committee of both chambers.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ reflection roundtable on electoral reform, Yiaga Africa’s Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, laid emphasis on Section 52 of the bill which gives power to INEC to transmit results electronically.

‘We believe the version of the House of Reps, and the version of the bill should be adopted giving INEC the powers to decide the procedure for voting and transmission of results’, Mbamalu said.

She added, ‘The Senate version is problematic because it seeks to give power to the communications commission to make decisions over the procedures and for INEC.

‘For us, that is unconstitutional, because INEC as an executive body established by the constitution is independent’.

In its Electoral Bill 2021: Disparities in the Bill Passed by Senate and House of Representatives report, Yiaga Africa urged the National Assembly to maintain the version passed by the House of Representatives.

Also speaking at the event, the spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, expressed worry over Section 52, describing it as nebulous and vague.

‘If we struggle with responsibilities on how to govern the country, whether in the executive or legislative arm of government, it gives not just a moral remorse, it gives us a moral burden to ensure we dedicate ourselves and get the wish and mandate of the people’, Basiru said.

Yiaga Africa organised the gathering with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project.

Source: Yiaga Africa

Photo source: Yiaga Africa