Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that critics have misrepresented the Senate’s intentions and misunderstood the legislative process. He said the body has not removed electronic transmission of election results, but rather questioned the requirement for real-time transmission.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday as the special guest of honour at the launch of the book The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria by Senator Effiong Bob, Akpabio clarified that the amendment is still incomplete and public debate on the matter is premature.
“The Electoral Act amendment is incomplete. We have not completed it, but they are already on television. They don’t understand lawmaking,” Akpabio said. “I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission. If you want to use a bicycle, phone, or iPad to transmit results, do so.”
He explained that the Senate’s concern is that mandating real-time transmission could trigger legal disputes if network failures occur during elections. “Real time means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results. Nationally, if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid,” Akpabio said.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should determine the mode and timing of result transmission, rather than having the law impose technology that may be incompatible with local infrastructure. He warned that misunderstanding legislative processes and imposing technological mandates could weaken democracy.
The remarks follow criticism from civil society groups and opposition parties, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which had urged the Senate to include mandatory electronic transmission in the amended Act to ensure transparency and prevent manipulation.
Speaking at the same event, former Senate President David Mark urged the National Assembly to pass the law and allow INEC to determine implementation, rather than pre-empting the commission’s decisions.
Other dignitaries, including Akwa Ibom Governor Pastor Umo Eno, praised Senator Bob for highlighting the challenges faced by legislators, from electoral battles to judicial overturning of victories, in his book.
Akpabio concluded by calling for principled and informed debate on electoral reforms, stressing that democracy depends not only on passion but on understanding and respecting legislative processes.