The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and approved the electronic transmission of results.
The approval when the lawmakers resumed plenary after a three-week recess.
The Senate had constituted a 7-man conference committee to meet with the House of Representatives Conference Committee counterpart to harmonise the differences in the two versions of the Bill.
The House of Representatives is also expected to pass the harmonised bill soon.
The Senate hadin October bowed to pressure and given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the sole power to determine the mode of transmission of results.
This followed the reversal of its earlier decision that INEC may consider the electronic transmission of results “provided national (network) coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure” by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.
Under a new amendment of Clause 52 (2) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Senate resolved that “voting at an election and transmission of results under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission, which may include electronic voting”.
