The Senate has committed to enacting legislation that will compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit election results, according to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Act, Sharafadeen Alli. This announcement was made during Alli’s appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.
Alli emphasized that the existing electoral act does not currently mandate INEC to electronically transmit results. He stated, “That is one of the things that we are going to be doing going forward. Under the current law, it is not mandatory for INEC to upload, that is what the court has said, enter the law, under the current law it is not but as we are going on forward, it is going to be mandatory, that is one of the things that we are going to do.”
The commitment to legislative action comes in response to public dissatisfaction with INEC’s failure to electronically transmit election results during the general election held between February and March. INEC had previously pledged to implement real-time electronic transmission of results in the 2023 election.
However, the inability of INEC to fulfill this commitment has raised concerns among political analysts who suggest that such failures could contribute to voters’ apathy in future elections. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance the electoral process, the Senate aims to address this issue by making electronic transmission of results a mandatory requirement in the electoral act.
The proposed legislation is expected to bring about more transparency and efficiency in the electoral system, addressing concerns raised by citizens and reinforcing the commitment to electoral integrity. The Senate’s decision to prioritize this legislative initiative reflects a response to the evolving demands for improved electoral processes in the country.
