Human Rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has slammed the Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, over its decision in rejecting proposed amendment making electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
Effiong said the move undermines the effectiveness of the Electoral Act and risks rendering it meaningless.
According to Effiong, the existing provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act have already been rendered ineffective by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a position that has been upheld by the courts.
He argued that without mandatory electronic transmission, the law cannot guarantee transparency or credibility in the electoral process.
READ MORE: Akpabio Senate Passes Electoral Act, Rejects Mandatory Electronic Transmission of Results
“Akpabio thinks he is talking to illiterates. The issue is making e-transmission compulsory. What is in the 2022 Act has been rendered useless by INEC, the Courts upheld INEC’s action,” Effiong tweeted.
He added that unless electronic transmission is made compulsory, any effort to reform the electoral framework would be futile.
Effiong called on lawmakers to prioritise reforms that strengthen the credibility of elections rather than retaining ineffective provisions.
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