By Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has claimed he never voted against the electronic transmission of results but an amendment to the clause in the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
In a statement issued Saturday by his Special Adviser on Legislative and Plenary matters, Prince Efe Duku, Omo-agege said his decision was guided by the reality on ground given the fact that according to data from the Nigerian Communication Commission, e-transmission of results is only possible in less than 50 percent of all electoral domains in the country.
According to the Deputy Senate President, while he supports Electronic Voting (E-Voting) as contained in Clause 52(2) of the Electoral Reform Bill, which has been duly passed by the Senate, he only voted for an amendment to Clause 52(3) of the Bill (on e-transmission) to guarantee secure e-rransmission of all election results and uniform application of e-transmission everywhere in the country, not just some parts of it.
While urging Nigerians to discountenance any mischievous commentary or speculation to the contrary, the Senator added that those grandstanding with mischief as their only weapons of offence are only labouring in vain.
The statement read in part: “Their defeat was perfectly executed by a majority of the Nigerian Senate. Not being democrats, they believe they may still achieve their sinister agenda through misinformation and outright falsehoods. That will not stand. In simple terms, The Obarisi of Urhobo land voted to support an amendment that ensures, for example, that INEC does not transmit only election results in Urhobo electronically while other areas may have their results transmitted otherwise and safely. For him, all election results must be treated equally under a uniformly applied standard.
“Indeed, as an erudite lawyer, i know that it is unconstitutional for the National Assembly to enact an Electoral Act that is inherently discriminatory in its design and intended application. For him, to pass the test of constitutional validity, the law must apply uniformly to all electoral domains in the country, otherwise such a law could be easily struck down by a court if taken for judicial reviews by those who may be negatively impacted. I know that Urhobo as Nigeria’s 5th largest ethnic nationality does not countenance false premises in decision-making, especially by those who are privileged to be chosen as leaders. He is therefore accordingly properly guided in all his actions and inactions as a lawmaker because he knows that laws once enacted often have far-reaching ramifications, sometimes beyond the lifetime of the legislators who make them.”
