The Digest:
The Senate has reversed its earlier stance and amended the Electoral Act to allow for the electronic transmission of election results, with the critical caveat that manual collation using Form EC8A serves as the primary backup in the event of network failure. The amendment, passed during an emergency plenary, does not make e-transmission mandatory but provides for it as an option. The motion for reversal was moved by Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno, who stated it was necessary to reflect "the wishes and aspirations of the people." This move effectively acknowledges that the earlier version passed lacked a clear e-transmission provision.
Key Points:
- The public secures a legislative acknowledgment of the demand for technological integration in elections.
- INEC may face operational ambiguity and increased costs in deploying a dual transmission and collation system.
- The Senate yields to public pressure by incorporating e-transmission, while retaining a significant loophole that preserves manual processes.
- The reversal is a direct concession to the sustained #OccupyNASS protests and widespread criticism.
- The amendment creates a conditional framework, making the effectiveness of e-transmission dependent on uninterrupted network coverage.
The Senate's reversal establishes a conditional electronic transmission framework, representing a political compromise that addresses public demand while leaving the door open for manual collation.
Sources: Premium Times
