A member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has urged the Senate to expunge provisions permitting guide transmission of election outcomes from the continued modification of the Electoral Act, warning that such clauses might undermine credible polls.
Okonkwo made the decision on Tuesday throughout an look on Politics Right now on Channels Tv, amid sustained criticism of the Electoral Act Modification Invoice at present earlier than the Nationwide Meeting.
In response to the actor-turned-politician, mandating digital transmission of outcomes immediately from polling items would curb manipulation and guarantee transparency. “As soon as they put that legislation that it’s essential to transmit from the polling unit, I’m okay. So any polling officer wouldn’t go away the polling unit,” he mentioned.
He argued that the Home of Representatives ought to go additional by stipulating strict penalties the place digital transmission fails. “The Home of Representatives ought to go additional to say that the place it isn’t potential to transmit from the polling unit, that election must be cancelled,” Okonkwo added.
Responding to issues in regards to the equity of cancelling elections because of failed digital transmission, Okonkwo insisted that the essence of accreditation and voting is the integrity of outcomes. “The explanation you’re doing accreditation, voting is for the end result. Should you do all these items to get a fraudulent end result, what have you ever gained?” he requested.
Okonkwo attributed Nigeria’s growth challenges to elections riddled with irregularities, describing fraudulent polls because the nation’s largest drawback. “On the day we now have free and truthful elections in Nigeria, 20 years after that, we might grow to be a superpower nation,” he mentioned, including that democratic stability in international locations like the US rests on the sovereignty of the folks.
He pressured that democracy doesn’t belong to any political social gathering, urging Nigerians throughout social gathering traces to defend democratic values.
The Senate final week handed the Electoral Act Modification Invoice, rejecting proposals for real-time digital transmission of outcomes however retaining provisions empowering the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to find out the mode of transmission.
Following public backlash and protests by opposition figures, the Senate on Tuesday authorized digital transmission with out the “real-time” specification, whereas permitting guide collation the place web connectivity fails.
Lawmakers have since constituted a committee to harmonise the Senate and Home variations of the invoice.
The submit Electoral Act: ADC’s Okonkwo asks Senate to remove manual transmission clause appeared first on Vanguard News.
