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NASS Chides INEC For Insisting On E-Transmission Of Results
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said it did not need the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission to transmit election results electronically, stating that the constitution is clear.
The National Assembly said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, to seek proper legal advice rather than misinforming Nigerians on the independence of INEC to conduct elections.
EkohotBlog reports that INEC also said that the decision of the National Assembly to subject its constitutional power to conduct elections to the NCC was absolutely unconstitutional.
Recall that during the debate on section 52 (3) of the Electoral Amendment Act Bill, dealing with electronic transmission by lawmakers, they had asked INEC to seek the approval of the NCC before going on with e-transmission of results.
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However, speaking at the third quarterly meeting of INEC with media executives in Abuja, the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman (Electoral Operations and Logistic Committee), Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, expressed rather than seeking the approval of NCC, INEC had the constitutional mandate to impose duties on NCC in order to achieve the electronic transmission of results.
He stated that “That is absolutely unconstitutional. You cannot ask INEC to seek the approval of another agency of government to transmit results electronically when actually INEC has the power to impose duties on NCC to achieve electronic transmission of results.
“I completely agree that in the context of underscoring the independence of the commission, section 160 of the Constitution has done everything it needs to do. What is left is for INEC to use the power it has under the constitution to achieve it aim.”
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had said earlier that the newly introduced Bimodal Voter Accreditation System would replace the Smart Card Reader and Z-pad, adding that it would take care of the challenges of over-voting and double voting.
He equally talked on the upcoming Anambra State governorship election slated for November 6, saying, “In the next few days, the commission will compile the register of new voters and publish same throughout the state for claims and objections.”
In reaction on the independence of INEC to transmit results electronically, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru said that it would be proper for the chairman (of INEC) to seek proper legal advice on the interpretation of item 22 and Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
His statement reads “INEC, in implementing the law, becomes independent pursuant to the constitutional provision. He (INEC chairman) should not muddle the independence of INEC with that of its agency’s operations, as to the legislative competence of the National Assembly to stipulate framework for elections.
“The INEC chairman does not seem to know the position of the law as to the constitutional power of INEC vis a vis the National Assembly from what he said. I will advise him to seek proper legal advice,” Basiru said.
Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Kaduna state have expressed their support for INEC’s decision.
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