Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has reaffirmed that the Senate approved the real-time electronic transmission of election results, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise and warning that his integrity is being unfairly questioned.
Speaking at a media briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday, Abaribe appeared alongside 13 serving senators to clarify the Senate’s position on the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act. He stressed that the Senate did not approve the “transfer” of election results as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act, but deliberately endorsed electronic “transmission” of results, noting that the distinction is critical.
“I am deeply concerned about reports in the media, and that is why we decided to address this issue clearly. What we passed is electronic transmission of results. I need to make that very clear,” Abaribe said.
He explained that the decision followed an extensive legislative process that included consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and various civil society organisations. According to him, a joint committee of the National Assembly held multiple retreats with key stakeholders, which resulted in a broad consensus that electronic transmission of results should be adopted by both chambers.
Abaribe added that the Senate later constituted an ad hoc committee to review the report on electoral reforms.
“That report was considered during an executive session. On my honour, I can assure you that we all agreed on electronic transmission of results in real time. At plenary yesterday, that was also what we passed,” he said.
He noted that the controversy emerged during the plenary session, despite confirmation by the Senate President on the floor that electronic transmission had been approved.
According to Abaribe, the Senate has not yet adopted its Votes and Proceedings, a key procedural requirement before a conference committee can be convened to harmonise the Senate and House of Representatives’ versions of the bill.
“There is still one more step for the Senate to take. Until the Votes and Proceedings are adopted, the conference committee cannot meet. Either the Senate version or the House version must be formally adopted. A large number of senators across party lines are with us on this,” he stated.
Also speaking at the briefing, Senator Aliyu Ningi said the amendment process began as far back as 2024 and involved extensive deliberations.
“We had about 27 different sessions as a committee. It is painful that public opinion is being pushed in a negative direction despite the amount of work that has gone into this process,” Ningi said.
Both senators maintained that the legislative process is still ongoing and that harmonisation between both chambers cannot take place until all procedural steps are completed.
Further clarifying the issue, Abaribe said the Senate intentionally used the word “transmission” instead of “transfer” to avoid ambiguity in the law.
“What exists in the 2022 Act is ‘transfer’. We do not want a vague or ambiguous law. What we passed is electronic ‘transmission’ of results,” he said.
However, during the clause-by-clause consideration of the amendment, the Senate removed the word “transmission” and replaced it with “transfer,” in line with the wording of the existing 2022 Electoral Act. The proposal, raised by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Mongunu, was quickly seconded by the Deputy Senate President and adopted by the chamber.
During the debate, Mongunu argued that the Senate should retain the exact wording of the existing law. His position was supported by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio struck the gavel, affirming the retention of the term “transfer” in the provision.
Abaribe Insists Senate Approved Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results
