Not Yet Over For Electronic Transmission Of Results In 2023 — Ekweremadu

Former Deputy President of Senate, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday
restated his faith that electronic transmission of results would
still be part of the 2023 general election.

Ekweremadu who represents Enugu West Senatorial District said
transmitting results of the 2023 elections electronically was the
best way to go and appealed that the issue should not be reduced to
party or sectional dichotomies.

The lawmaker who was not at the Senate plenary of Thursday, July
15 when the upper chamber voted on the Electoral Act Repeal and
Re-enactment Bill as he was on official assignment in far away
Montenegro where he attended a prescheduled regular session of the
International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP) as
Nigeria’s representative and presented the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the National Assembly of Nigeria and
the IPTP, said there was still the possibility that bill on
electronic transmission of results would make the constitution
amendment.

He assured of his resolve to work with other patriotic and
progressive lawmakers to resurrect electronic transmission of
results upon the resumption of the National Assembly, starting from
the point of harmonisation of the clauses passed by the Senate and
the House of Representatives.

In a statement by his Media Adviser, Uche Anichukwu, in which he
explained the absence of the former Deputy President of Senate last
Thursday plenary, Ekweremadu stated that every lawmaker was
expected to vote in support of what is best for the country,
irrespective of political affiliation.

On the rejection of electronic transmission of election results
by the Senate, the statement said, “It is unfortunate that just as
was the case in the last National Assembly when efforts to better
the quality of our elections were serially frustrated and it was
eventually not signed into law by Mr. President, non-progressives
are equally frustrating the current exertions. But that is not
enough to assume that everybody, who was not present at the July 15
plenary, simply chickened out. Why would Ekweremadu chicken
out?

“Ekweremadu acknowledges that vested political interests
obviously never wanted electronic transmission of results to come
to fruition. They used their number to block it. However, it is
also a fact that the vehemence of those minded against such reform
is not new. The Senator nearly lost his life in this cause as armed
criminals stormed the Senate on April 18, 2018 to cart away the
mace and truncate the discussion of the Electoral Act Amendment
Bill, which included electronic conduct of elections. Ekweremadu
presided on that fateful day. It is on record that the lawmaker
stood his ground.

“Despite all the odds that have been stacked against him,
Ekweremadu has remained consistent and true to his political
beliefs and conscience, refusing to legislate out of fear or to
fear to legislate.

“It is very unfortunate that those who rode to power on the back
of the electoral reforms and conducive democratic environment
engendered by PDP administrations have continued to take various
caustic measures to frustrate further electoral reforms.”

Furthermore, the statement reads, “Ekweremadu is not deterred by
attacks on his person by the uninformed over the outcome of the
voting on the electronic transmission of results.

“Therefore, as was the case with electronic voting, Ekweremadu
is resolved to work with other patriotic and progressive lawmakers
to resurrect electronic transmission of results upon the resumption
of the National Assembly, starting from the point of harmonisation
of the clauses passed by the Senate and the House of
Representatives.

“He has also enjoined those opposed to electronic transmission
of results to use the opportunity of the break to reflect on the
issue and return with the determination to do what is best for the
nation, more so when INEC has further affirmed that it has the
capacity to do electronic transmission of results.”

Former Deputy President of Senate, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday
restated his faith that electronic transmission of results would
still be part of the 2023 general election.

Ekweremadu who represents Enugu West Senatorial District said
transmitting results of the 2023 elections electronically was the
best way to go and appealed that the issue should not be reduced to
party or sectional dichotomies.

The lawmaker who was not at the Senate plenary of Thursday, July
15 when the upper chamber voted on the Electoral Act Repeal and
Re-enactment Bill as he was on official assignment in far away
Montenegro where he attended a prescheduled regular session of the
International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP) as
Nigeria’s representative and presented the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the National Assembly of Nigeria and
the IPTP, said there was still the possibility that bill on
electronic transmission of results would make the constitution
amendment.

He assured of his resolve to work with other patriotic and
progressive lawmakers to resurrect electronic transmission of
results upon the resumption of the National Assembly, starting from
the point of harmonisation of the clauses passed by the Senate and
the House of Representatives.

In a statement by his Media Adviser, Uche Anichukwu, in which he
explained the absence of the former Deputy President of Senate last
Thursday plenary, Ekweremadu stated that every lawmaker was
expected to vote in support of what is best for the country,
irrespective of political affiliation.

On the rejection of electronic transmission of election results
by the Senate, the statement said, “It is unfortunate that just as
was the case in the last National Assembly when efforts to better
the quality of our elections were serially frustrated and it was
eventually not signed into law by Mr. President, non-progressives
are equally frustrating the current exertions. But that is not
enough to assume that everybody, who was not present at the July 15
plenary, simply chickened out. Why would Ekweremadu chicken
out?

“Ekweremadu acknowledges that vested political interests
obviously never wanted electronic transmission of results to come
to fruition. They used their number to block it. However, it is
also a fact that the vehemence of those minded against such reform
is not new. The Senator nearly lost his life in this cause as armed
criminals stormed the Senate on April 18, 2018 to cart away the
mace and truncate the discussion of the Electoral Act Amendment
Bill, which included electronic conduct of elections. Ekweremadu
presided on that fateful day. It is on record that the lawmaker
stood his ground.

“Despite all the odds that have been stacked against him,
Ekweremadu has remained consistent and true to his political
beliefs and conscience, refusing to legislate out of fear or to
fear to legislate.

“It is very unfortunate that those who rode to power on the back
of the electoral reforms and conducive democratic environment
engendered by PDP administrations have continued to take various
caustic measures to frustrate further electoral reforms.”

Furthermore, the statement reads, “Ekweremadu is not deterred by
attacks on his person by the uninformed over the outcome of the
voting on the electronic transmission of results.

“Therefore, as was the case with electronic voting, Ekweremadu
is resolved to work with other patriotic and progressive lawmakers
to resurrect electronic transmission of results upon the resumption
of the National Assembly, starting from the point of harmonisation
of the clauses passed by the Senate and the House of
Representatives.

“He has also enjoined those opposed to electronic transmission
of results to use the opportunity of the break to reflect on the
issue and return with the determination to do what is best for the
nation, more so when INEC has further affirmed that it has the
capacity to do electronic transmission of results.”