Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) has clarified that the Senate, in its closed-door deliberations, unanimously approved the electronic transmission of election results and did not endorse a reversion to the term “transfer.”
The clarification comes amid public outrage following reports from Tuesday’s plenary session, where the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and a motion was reportedly adopted to replace “transmission” with “transfer” in the amendment to Section 60 of the Electoral Act.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Senator Umeh detailed the extensive legislative process, which included readings, nationwide zonal public hearings, and stakeholder consultations.
He revealed that the push for explicit legal backing for electronic transmission emerged as a major demand, particularly after the Supreme Court, during the 2023 presidential election cases, discountenanced electronically transmitted evidence because it was “not expressly provided for in the law.”
“Over 85 per cent of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground,” Umeh asserted, explaining that the only modification agreed upon in the closed executive session was the removal of the phrase “in real time” due to network reliability concerns.
He argued that the confusion stemmed from a procedural moment in plenary. “There was no debate on it. If debate had been allowed, it would have taken us back to the executive session where the issue had already been exhaustively discussed and resolved,” Umeh said.
The Senator emphasized the critical legal distinction, questioning the logic of the term “transfer” in a digital context: “You cannot talk about transfer to the IReV portal without electronic transmission. How do you transfer to a portal if it is not done electronically?”
Addressing the public outcry, Umeh acknowledged that the reaction showed the plenary outcome did not reflect the Senate’s prior agreement. However, he stressed that the process is not yet complete.
“We have not finished. The Votes and Proceedings of yesterday have not been approved. It is only approved proceedings that go to the conference committee for harmonisation,” he stated.
Umeh expressed confidence that the original intent to mandate electronic transmission would be restored.
“When we return to approve the Votes and Proceedings, the question will be asked whether it truly reflects what we did. I believe the agreed position on electronic transmission will be restored,” he said, noting that the House of Representatives’ version already contains clear e-transmission provisions.
The Senate’s passed bill currently retains the 2022 Act’s wording on “transfer,” alongside other amendments such as shortened election timelines and reduced penalties for PVC trading.
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