The Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reversing its earlier decision.
Both chambers of the National Assembly passed different version of the sections 43, 52, 63 and 87 of the Electoral Act of electronic transmission of results.
While the Senate version said INEC must obtain permission of Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the National Assembly before deploying technology during elections, the House version permits the electoral agency to use its discretion.
The INEC insisted it had the capacity to transmit election results across the country.
At plenary yesterday, the Senate examined the recommendations of the Conference Committee of both chambers which dumped the version of the amendment Act earlier passed by the Senate.
The Senate in plenary approved the e-transmission of results by the electoral commission.
The Senate went further to endorse the proposal that INEC should be free to use electronic voting.
Explaining the decision, Senator Basiru said the committee allowed INEC to deploy electronic machines while the party agents are also at liberty to inspect the machines.
Basiru added that while the recourse to the NCC has been discarded, INEC can resort to the technological method of choice.
Reacting, the spokesman of INEC chairman Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said the electoral agency will await President Muhammadu Buhari assent before reacting to the Senate action.
