The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has called on both chambers of the National Assembly to ensure the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing harmonization of differences in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
Recall that the passage of the landmark Bill in July, by the Senate and House of Representatives, was preceded by quarrels and disagreement among the lawmakers leading to rowdy sessions.
While the Upper Chamber empowered the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to determine the use of electronic transmission of election results, the Lower Chamber on its part gave INEC the discretion to decide ‘where applicable’ to use manual or E-transmission of election results.
Resuming after their 2 months annual vacation, the principal officers, last week set up committee, consisting of members from the six geopolitical zones to harmonize contentious positions in the Bill.
Speaking on behalf of CUPP, in a press conference in Abuja, the Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, who said Nigerians wanted electronic transmission of results, noted that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was ready for it and had accepted it had capacity for it.
He alleged that there’s a plot by most of the lawmakers in the harmonization committee to see to it that the electronic transmission of results did not see the light of the day.
This, he said, is an insult on the sensibilities of the Nigerian people, adding that Nigerians will resist any attempt to rob the Independent National Electoral Commission of its constitutionally guaranteed independence by way of subjecting any of their activities to the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Ugochinyere said, “This amendment commenced since 2016 and has not been completed 5 years after. The APC National Assembly members have agreed to drag this process and get up to their next year’s annual vacation by which time, whereupon a claim that by the ECOWAS treaty electoral laws cannot be amended less than six months to elections, the process will terminate like they did for the 2019 election but this time with possibility of throwing the country into constitutional crisis.
“We warn the National Assembly members that God will condemn them and humanity will condemn them if they doctor the Electoral Act amendment process and remove the electronic transmission of results or if they refuse to complete this process within a reasonable time.”
Source – NaijaTabloid
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