Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, has defended the inclusion of provisions on digital trail and electronic transmission of election results in the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.
Ningi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, February 9, 2026, while responding to questions on ongoing debates within the National Assembly concerning subsections 3 and 5 of the amendment. The question focused on provisions requiring a digital trail and real-time electronic transmission of election results, amid objections by some lawmakers who argue that the process is impracticable.
Responding, Senator Ningi said the provisions emerged from extensive consultations and deliberations. “You see there are two things,” he said. “One, the senate sent us to do a public hearing and in the course of this public hearing, these issues were brought for discussion not once, not two times, over ten times,” Ningi stated.
He said the concerns surrounding the clause were initially raised by the Nigerian Bar Association. “And it was the Nigerian Bar Association that made the assumption that this 60 sub 3 is injurious to the parliament, to the electorate because they made a reference to the statement of in the Supreme Court,” he said. “So it is not viable. It is ambiguous,” Ningi added.
According to him, lawmakers acknowledged that the provision required further clarification. “It is not something that the lawmaker should have passed at the initial and therefore will ask them, give us an indication, give us what is supposed to be legal,” he said. Ningi said the concerns were addressed following further engagement. “And they provided this,” he stated.
He said the revised clause was subjected to additional scrutiny involving relevant stakeholders. “Even after they provided this particular clause, we now subjected it to debate with INEC, to debate among members of the committee, both houses, and we agree this is a clause that will take for submission,” Ningi said.
He noted that lawmakers were fully aware of the process leading to the inclusion of the clause.
These members are agreeing. We are not in the executive session in the first place or in the second place and they would have known this was the reason why this particular clause is in place and we made some research,” he said.
Ningi said the committee examined infrastructure availability across the country. “We said there is no where in this country that there is no POS, there is no where in this country that there is no phone, and POS is working in all the villages that you visited,” he said. “So if we can have POS and we can have phone, why wouldn’t?” Ningi asked.
He expressed disappointment over resistance to the provision. “And I feel really sad,” he said. “If a politician is really serious about himself, this is something that he should be glad that is in the law because it doesn’t offend anybody,” Ningi added.
Post a Comment