Lawan: Why Senate Voted For Conditional E-Transmission Of Election Results

Says Conference Committee Will Harmonise Position Of Senate
And House On Electoral Bill

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has given reasons to
justify the position taken by the Senate on the electronic
transmission of election results.

The Senate on Thursday, while considering the Electoral Act 2010
Amendment Bill, voted that “The Commission (INEC) may consider
electronic transmission of results, provided the national coverage
is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National
Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National
Assembly.”

Lawan explained that the Upper Chamber voted the way it did in
defence of about half of the Nigerian voters whose votes may not be
counted with immediate deployment or application of electronic
transmission of election results.

A statement on Sunday quoted the Senate President as saying this
while responding to questions from journalists on the passage of
the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, during a constituency visit
to his Yobe North Senatorial District.

The statement titled, ‘Why we voted for e-transmission of
results with conditions – Senate President …Says not only APC but
some PDP Senators too voted for it’, was signed by Ola Awoniyi,
Special Adviser (Media) to President of the Senate.

Lawan said, “I’m happy that we have been able to pass the
amendment even though some people are complaining of what we have
passed in the Senate and probably what the House of Representatives
has also passed.

“When the majority of Senators voted against immediate
application or deployment of electronic transmission of results
from the polling units, to the ward, to the local government,
states and federal, they didn’t say they do not believe in
electronic transmission (of election results).

“All of us in the Senate, 109 of us, believe that at one point,
our electoral process must deploy electronic transmission so that
it eases and enhances the electoral process and give it more
credibility and integrity.

“But you see, when you have not reached that stage where you
could deploy the electronic transmission from every part of the
country, then you have to be very careful. And no matter what
anybody may say, you cannot have about 50 percent of Nigerian
voters not participating or not getting their votes counted in
elections and say it doesn’t matter, that we have to start the
electronic transmission.

“We know the evils of not transmitting results electronically
but compare the evils of electronically transmitting just half of
the electoral votes from Nigerians and say you have elected a
President with 50 percent only.

“And others have voted but their results or their votes could
not be electronically transmitted. This is disenfranchising
Nigerians and we are not going to support this kind of thing
because essentially, we are supposed to be fair to every part of
Nigeria and when we voted, every part of Nigeria voted for and
against(the amendment).

“What I mean here is that, you have Senators from northern part
of Nigeria who voted for electronic transmission. Maybe that is
their belief or their environment is ready for electronic
transmission. And you have Senators from southern part of Nigeria
who voted against the immediate deployment of electronic
transmission but they support that the electronic transmission of
results should be allowed after certain conditions are met and the
conditions are simple: The National Communication Commission had
provided the technical information that only NCC could give – that
only about 50 percent of the Nigerian environment, the polling
units, in the country could possibly have their results
electronically transmitted.

“So what happens to the other 50 percent. So we believe that all
of us in the Senate were aiming at the same target but chose to go
through different routes and that is why in my concluded remarks in
the Senate after the debate and voting, I said there was no Victor,
no Vanquish because we all meant well.

“And for those Nigerians who still feel that the electronic
transmission should have just been allowed to take effect, I said
well, this is how democracy works. Democracy is to allow those
minority views to be expressed and democracy provides that the
majority views will always prevail.”

The Senate President faulted some media reports that insinuated
that only the APC Senators voted against the immediate application
of the electronic transmission of results.

He said the votes cast on either side of the subject matter cut
across party lines and regional divides.

“In this respect, it was not just APC. I have seen it reported
in the media that only APC Senators voted against the immediate
deployment of electronic transmission.

“There are PDP Senators who voted against that but it appears
that some people want to target at APC Senators. There were PDP
Senators who voted against immediate deployment. I’m using the word
‘immediate’ with an emphasis.

“Nobody said don’t use electronic transmission at all. You use
it when we reach there and only NCC can give you information. That
is the main reason why, in the Senate version, clause 52(3), there
is that provision to contact the NCC because INEC will not know
until they go to NCC.

“So NCC will be the only institution to give that information
because they are competent and it’s within their jurisdiction. And
we say the National Assembly should approve of it.

“It is not when they want to do transmission that they will have
to go to National Assembly that we want to do transmission. No.
That once NCC has told INEC is now ready. INEC should come to the
National Assembly with the NCC and say we are now ready.

“There is no way any National Assembly, not even this Ninth
National Assembly will deny INEC the use of electronic transmission
as part of our electoral process when we are ready for it,” Lawan
said.

The Senate President said it was wrong to conclude that Senators
who voted for electronic transmission with conditions did not like
the results transmitted electronically.

“I want to take this opportunity to debunk that insinuation or
outright castigation of Senators that voted against immediate
deployment of electronic transmission that they don’t like
electronic transmission. It is not true.

“Even though I didn’t vote. But I believe that what my
colleagues did is binding on all of us in the Senate. 28 against
52…l believe that what we have done requires that the Senate and
the House will each constitute a conference committee. What we call
harmonisation for the two sides. When we harmonise, then we will
send it to Mr President,” Lawan said.

Says Conference Committee Will Harmonise Position Of Senate
And House On Electoral Bill

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has given reasons to
justify the position taken by the Senate on the electronic
transmission of election results.

The Senate on Thursday, while considering the Electoral Act 2010
Amendment Bill, voted that “The Commission (INEC) may consider
electronic transmission of results, provided the national coverage
is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National
Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National
Assembly.”

Lawan explained that the Upper Chamber voted the way it did in
defence of about half of the Nigerian voters whose votes may not be
counted with immediate deployment or application of electronic
transmission of election results.

A statement on Sunday quoted the Senate President as saying this
while responding to questions from journalists on the passage of
the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, during a constituency visit
to his Yobe North Senatorial District.

The statement titled, ‘Why we voted for e-transmission of
results with conditions – Senate President …Says not only APC but
some PDP Senators too voted for it’, was signed by Ola Awoniyi,
Special Adviser (Media) to President of the Senate.

Lawan said, “I’m happy that we have been able to pass the
amendment even though some people are complaining of what we have
passed in the Senate and probably what the House of Representatives
has also passed.

“When the majority of Senators voted against immediate
application or deployment of electronic transmission of results
from the polling units, to the ward, to the local government,
states and federal, they didn’t say they do not believe in
electronic transmission (of election results).

“All of us in the Senate, 109 of us, believe that at one point,
our electoral process must deploy electronic transmission so that
it eases and enhances the electoral process and give it more
credibility and integrity.

“But you see, when you have not reached that stage where you
could deploy the electronic transmission from every part of the
country, then you have to be very careful. And no matter what
anybody may say, you cannot have about 50 percent of Nigerian
voters not participating or not getting their votes counted in
elections and say it doesn’t matter, that we have to start the
electronic transmission.

“We know the evils of not transmitting results electronically
but compare the evils of electronically transmitting just half of
the electoral votes from Nigerians and say you have elected a
President with 50 percent only.

“And others have voted but their results or their votes could
not be electronically transmitted. This is disenfranchising
Nigerians and we are not going to support this kind of thing
because essentially, we are supposed to be fair to every part of
Nigeria and when we voted, every part of Nigeria voted for and
against(the amendment).

“What I mean here is that, you have Senators from northern part
of Nigeria who voted for electronic transmission. Maybe that is
their belief or their environment is ready for electronic
transmission. And you have Senators from southern part of Nigeria
who voted against the immediate deployment of electronic
transmission but they support that the electronic transmission of
results should be allowed after certain conditions are met and the
conditions are simple: The National Communication Commission had
provided the technical information that only NCC could give – that
only about 50 percent of the Nigerian environment, the polling
units, in the country could possibly have their results
electronically transmitted.

“So what happens to the other 50 percent. So we believe that all
of us in the Senate were aiming at the same target but chose to go
through different routes and that is why in my concluded remarks in
the Senate after the debate and voting, I said there was no Victor,
no Vanquish because we all meant well.

“And for those Nigerians who still feel that the electronic
transmission should have just been allowed to take effect, I said
well, this is how democracy works. Democracy is to allow those
minority views to be expressed and democracy provides that the
majority views will always prevail.”

The Senate President faulted some media reports that insinuated
that only the APC Senators voted against the immediate application
of the electronic transmission of results.

He said the votes cast on either side of the subject matter cut
across party lines and regional divides.

“In this respect, it was not just APC. I have seen it reported
in the media that only APC Senators voted against the immediate
deployment of electronic transmission.

“There are PDP Senators who voted against that but it appears
that some people want to target at APC Senators. There were PDP
Senators who voted against immediate deployment. I’m using the word
‘immediate’ with an emphasis.

“Nobody said don’t use electronic transmission at all. You use
it when we reach there and only NCC can give you information. That
is the main reason why, in the Senate version, clause 52(3), there
is that provision to contact the NCC because INEC will not know
until they go to NCC.

“So NCC will be the only institution to give that information
because they are competent and it’s within their jurisdiction. And
we say the National Assembly should approve of it.

“It is not when they want to do transmission that they will have
to go to National Assembly that we want to do transmission. No.
That once NCC has told INEC is now ready. INEC should come to the
National Assembly with the NCC and say we are now ready.

“There is no way any National Assembly, not even this Ninth
National Assembly will deny INEC the use of electronic transmission
as part of our electoral process when we are ready for it,” Lawan
said.

The Senate President said it was wrong to conclude that Senators
who voted for electronic transmission with conditions did not like
the results transmitted electronically.

“I want to take this opportunity to debunk that insinuation or
outright castigation of Senators that voted against immediate
deployment of electronic transmission that they don’t like
electronic transmission. It is not true.

“Even though I didn’t vote. But I believe that what my
colleagues did is binding on all of us in the Senate. 28 against
52…l believe that what we have done requires that the Senate and
the House will each constitute a conference committee. What we call
harmonisation for the two sides. When we harmonise, then we will
send it to Mr President,” Lawan said.