Akpabio says Senate did not remove electronic transmission in Electoral Act amendment, only questioned ‘real-time’ requirement

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the National Assembly’s ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, saying critics are misjudging lawmakers based on an incomplete legislative process.

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Akpabio insisted that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of election results in the proposed amendment but only questioned the requirement for real-time transmission.

According to a statement shared with Sunday PUNCH, the Senate President spoke in Abuja as Special Guest of Honour at the unveiling of a book, The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, authored by Senator Effiong Bob.

His clarification follows criticism from key stakeholders and opposition parties over reports that the Senate had rejected mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The Nigerian Bar Association on Saturday called on the Senate to include mandatory electronic transmission of results in the Act.

In a statement posted on X, the NBA described the decision to retain the current wording — which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission” — as weakening the legal basis for transparent elections and leaving room for ambiguity.

Responding to the criticism, Akpabio said the Senate had not concluded work on the bill and that public debate was premature.

“The Electoral Act amendment is incomplete. We have not completed it, but they are already on television. They don’t understand lawmaking.

They don’t even know that what is in the Senate is not completed until we look at the Votes and Proceedings,” he said.

He criticised some civil society actors for attempting to impose their views on lawmakers, describing them as “mouth legislators.”

“Go and contest election if you want to talk about lawmaking and join them to make the law. Retreats are not lawmaking; they are part of consultations.

Why do you think what you agreed on at a retreat must be what is agreed on the floor?” he asked.

Akpabio maintained that the Senate had not removed any method of result transmission.

“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission. If you want to use a bicycle to carry your votes from one polling unit to the ward centre, do so.

If you want to use your phone to transmit, do so. If you want to use your iPad, do so,” he added.

The former Akwa Ibom governor explained that the concern was that mandating real-time transmission could create legal complications if network failures occurred during elections.

“All we said was that we should remove the word ‘real time,’ because if you say real time and there is a grid failure and the network is not working, when you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real time,” he said.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission should determine the mode and timing of result transmission within the framework of the law.

Akpabio warned that insisting on real-time transmission could invalidate results in areas with poor connectivity or insecurity.

“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,” he said.

He added that electoral reforms must reflect the country’s institutional and infrastructural realities, warning that misunderstanding legislative processes could weaken democracy.

“When people do not understand their legislature, democracy is at risk. Democracy is measured not by passion alone, but by principles,” he said.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress and former Senate President, David Mark, who chaired the occasion, urged the National Assembly to pass the law without pre-empting INEC’s operational decisions.

“Pass the law. Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don’t speak for INEC,” he said.

Speakers at the event, including Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno and the book reviewer, Professor Maxwell Gidado (SAN), commended Senator Bob for highlighting the challenges faced by legislators.

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In his remarks, the author listed electoral battles, conflicts with governors and political godfathers, judicial overturning of victories, and constituency pressures among the burdens faced by lawmakers.