The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed criticisms over the National Assembly’s ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that many commentators and civil society groups are reacting to an incomplete legislative process and misinterpreting parliamentary procedures.
Akpabio spoke in Abuja while serving as the special guest of honour at the unveiling of a book titled The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, written by Senator Effiong Bob.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the deletion of the phrase “real-time” in the electronic transmission of election results, the Senate President said the Senate had not concluded work on the amendment bill, describing the public outrage as premature.
According to him, the lawmaking process does not end with debates on the floor, stressing that the Votes and Proceedings stage allows lawmakers to correct, clarify or amend earlier decisions before final approval.
“The Electoral Act amendment is not yet completed. People are already on television criticising what they do not understand. Until we look at the Votes and Proceedings, nothing is final,” Akpabio said.
He faulted what he described as persistent attacks on the legislature, accusing some civil society actors of attempting to dictate outcomes to elected lawmakers without participating in the democratic process.
Akpabio clarified that the Senate did not abolish electronic transmission of results, but merely raised concerns about mandating real-time transmission in a country with infrastructural and security challenges.
“We did not remove any means of transmission. If you want to transmit results with a phone, an iPad or any other device, do so. Our concern was the insistence on ‘real time’,” he said.
He explained that compulsory real-time transmission could trigger legal disputes where network failures or power outages occur, potentially invalidating results in affected areas.
The Senate President added that the Independent National Electoral Commission should retain the discretion to determine the mode and timing of result transmission within the framework of the law.
Akpabio also noted that the amendment bill was yet to complete the bicameral process, stating that a conference committee would reconcile differences between the Senate and House of Representatives versions before final passage.
He urged critics to allow the legislative process to run its full course, warning that reforms must align with the nation’s legal and institutional capacity to avoid undermining democracy.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion and former Senate President, David Mark, called on the National Assembly to pass the bill and allow INEC to decide on the feasibility of real-time electronic transmission.
Other speakers at the event, including Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, and the book reviewer, Prof. Maxwell Gidado (SAN), commended Senator Bob for highlighting the pressures and challenges faced by Nigerian lawmakers in the discharge of their duties.