Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Convener of the Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, has urged Nigerians to continue speaking out against provisions in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the Senate, warning that the current version could undermine the credibility of future elections.
Nwankwo made the call on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, following the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 by the Senate.
According to him, the version passed by the Senate does not represent the position of the majority of lawmakers, adding that several senators were dissatisfied with how the decision was reached.
Nwankwo said the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission of election results and its alteration of electoral timelines could create logistical challenges for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and lead to electoral disorder.
He urged citizens to campaign for the adoption of the version passed by the House of Representatives, which he said better reflected public consultations and stakeholders’ inputs.
Nwankwo said: “I think citizens have to raise their voices. I know that the ‘Situation Room’ organized a protest last week. I believe that this will continue.
“I think the labor unions, citizens, the media have been doing excellent job, even in your program, your analysis and your comments on these issues are so very important, and it is important that this continues.
“What I see that has been passed is really the views of those who have the power to hit the gavel and decide whether a yes is a yes or a no is a no in terms of voting.
“But I know that a lot of senators themselves are very aggrieved by the way the gavel have been hit on this matter.
“And I think that citizens should canvas that the version that the House of Representatives has passed, which is very much more in consonance with the consultations that the National Assembly has had with citizens, should be what is retained.
“But as it is today, what the National Assembly has done, the Senate, particularly, is not the views of majority of senators. I am told what has happened is going to create electoral chaos.
“There is no way that these timelines that the Senate has tampered with will stand in terms of INEC’s logistics preparations. What has happened is that electoral chaos will be created by this new timelines that the Senate has put out as its position.”
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday passed the bill after its third reading but rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, which sought to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
The development came amid pressure from the media and other stakeholders, who have argued that electronic transmission of results is critical to ensuring free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls.
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