Senate can vote publicly on real-time e-transmission of election results — Ningi
By Jeffrey Agbo
Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central in the National Assembly, has said the Senate can conduct an open and transparent vote on the controversial issue of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ningi said the decision to make the voting process public rests with the presiding officer of the Senate. His comments come ahead of the Senate’s emergency plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, amid intense debate following the passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill at third reading.
Responding to questions on whether Nigerians could be allowed to see how individual senators vote on the matter, Ningi said, “I think it’s possible. It depends on the presiding officer because the law provides that.
“You can stand up and say, ‘I, Ningi, I accept e-transmission in real time.’ I sit down. It’s recorded every other senator, and that is the only way we need to move forward.”
The senator noted that concerns remain over how the Senate’s votes and proceedings were recorded during deliberations on the bill.
“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?
“There was a motion for amendment by Manguno, and then the question was put. Who asked the question? Why was the question raised?
“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 Manguno has raised,” he added.
Ningi stressed that the controversy surrounding electronic transmission of results should not be viewed through a partisan lens.
“I’m here, and I’m telling you with all sense of responsibility that this is not a party thing. It has never been seen as a party thing up to the moment we went into the Committee of the Whole.
“If tomorrow (Tuesday) the Senate President decides to say, ‘Is it transfer or transmission?’ and the gavel is sealed on transfer. They (the majority) have their way,” he said.
The lawmaker also expressed frustration over what he described as blanket criticism of the Senate over the issue.
“I feel so sad and outraged myself when I see the condemnation across this country condemning the Senate in its entirety. And that’s why for us, we need to tell the story.
“And I can tell you 98 per cent of the senators are in agreement with the submission made by the House. I don’t know how they are trying to make it a party affair. I don’t think so.
“As I told you, APC governors have presented their submission, PDP…, and they are all saying e-transmission,” Ningi stated.
