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Senators under the All Progressives Congress who were present during plenary yesterday have all voted against the electronice transmission of results.
The senators voted on Thursday.
The Committee had, in the report, recommended in Section 52(3) that, INEC “may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
But an APC senator from Niger North, Sabi Abdullahi, amended the clause to read, “INEC may consider electronic collation of results, provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secured by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.”
Members of the Committee on Communications had earlier informed the chamber that the NCC had declared that only 43 per cent of the country was currently under effective telecommunications coverage. Senate President, Ibrahim Lawan, ruled in favour of the amendment when he conducted a voice vote.
There was a disagreement and the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, called for a division which would require individual voting on the floor.
Lawan sustained Abaribe’s point of order and called for a division.
At the end of the poll, 88 senators voted, while 28 were not available to vote.
The outcome of the election showed that 52 APC senators, including the chairman of the Senate INEC committee, Kabiru Gaya, voted against the panel’s report, which gives the electoral umpire the sole power to determine the practicability of electronic transmission of results.
The Peoples Democratic Party members on the floor all voted in favour of electronic transmission
of results by INEC without interference from either the NCC or the National Assembly.
The APC members, while casting their votes against the amendment, attributed their decision to the claim of the NCC that only 43 per cent of the country has network coverage.
The PDP senators, on the other hand, said allowing the NCC and the National Assembly to meddle in the affairs of INEC will affect the integrity of the polls.
Twenty-eight senators who voted for electronic transmission of results include:
Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu North)
Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia South)
Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (PDP-Osun East) Clifford Ordia (PDP-Edo Central)
Matthew Urhoghide (PDP-Edo South) Gyang Istifanus (PDP-Plateau North) George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers East)Biodun Olujimi (PDP-Ekiti South) Mpigi Barinada (PDP-Rivers South-East) Betty Apiafi (PDP-Rivers West) Philip Aduda (PDP-Abuja FCT) Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (PDP-Sokoto South) Danjuma La’ah (PDP-Kaduna South)
Francis Onyewuchi (PDP-Imo East)
Patrick Ayo Akinyelure (PDP-Ondo Central) Kola Balogun (PDP-Oyo South) Eyankeyi Akon Etim (PDP-Akwa Ibom South) Christopher Ekpenyong (PDP-Akwa Ibom North-West) Seriake Dickson (PDP-Bayelsa West) Cleopas Zuwoghe (PDP-Bayelsa Central) Emmanuel Orker-jev (PDP-Benue North-West) Sandy Onor (PDP-Cross River Central) Gershom Bassey (PDP-Cross River South) James Manager (PDP-Delta South) Obinna Ogba (PDP-Ebonyi Central) Sam Egwu (PDP-Ebonyi North) Nnachi Ama Micheal (PDP-Ebonyi South) Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP Akwa Ibom North-East)
Fifty-two senators who voted against electronic transmission of results unless otherwise prescribed
by INEC are:
Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta Central) Peter Nwaoboshi (APC-Delta North) Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti Central) Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir (APC-Sokoto East) Mohammed Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central)
Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC-Taraba Central) Bomai Ibrahim Mohammed (APC-Yobe South) Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (APC-Zamfara North) Uba Sani (APC-Kaduna Central) Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano South) Ishaku Elisha Abbo (APC-Adamawa North) Ahmad Babba Kaita (APC-Katsina North) Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi Central)
Yahaya Abdullahi (APC-Kebbi North)
Yakubu Oseni (APC-Kogi Central)
Isah Jibrin (APC-Kogi East)
Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi West)
Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC-Kwara Central)
Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos-Central)
Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos-West)
Tanko Al-Makura (APC-Nasarawa South) Godiya Akwashiki (APC-Nasarawa North) Abdullahi Adamu (APC-Nasarawa West) Mohammed Sani Musa (APC-Niger East) Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC-Niger North) Birma Mohammed Enagi (APC-Niger South) Nora Ladi Dadu’ut (APC-Plateau South) Francis Alimikhena (APC-Edo North)
Abubakar Kyari (APC-Borno North)
Surajudeen Ajibola (APC-Osun Central) Robert Ajayi Boroffice (APC-Ondo North) Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia North) Aderele Oriolowo (APC-Osun West) Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC-Adamawa Central)
Degi Eremienyo (APC-Bayelsa East)
Ashiru Yisa (APC-Kwara South)
Bello Mandiya (APC-Katsina South)
Hezekiah Dimka Ayuba (APC-Plateau Central)
Francis Ibezim (APC-Imo North)
Kashim Shettima (APC-Borno Central) Stephen Odey (APC-Cross River North) Shuaibu Isa Lau (APC-Taraba North) Alkali Saidu (APC-Gombe North) Amos Bulus (APC-Gombe South) Danladi Sankara (APC-Jigawa North-West) Hadejia Hassan Ibrahim (APC-Jigawa North-East)
Suleiman Abdul Kwari (APC-Kaduna North) Abdullahi Barkiya (APC-Katsina Central) Jika Dauda Haliru (APC-Bauchi Central) Lawali Anka (APC-Zamfara West) Lawal Yahaya Gamau (APC-Bauchi South
Twenty-eight absentee senators are:
Theodore Orji (PDP-Abia Central)
Yaroe Binos Dauda (PDP-Adamawa South) Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra North) Ike Ekweramadu (PDP-Enugu West) Patrick Ifieanyi Ubah (YPP-Anambra South) Adetokunbo Abiru (APC-Lagos East) Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC-Kebbi South) Tolu Odebiyi (APC-Ogun West) Ibikunle Amosun (APC-Ogun Central) Olalekan Mustapha (APC-Ogun East) Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP-Ondo South) Teslim Folarin (APC-Oyo Central) Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo North) Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North) Ibrahim Shekarau (APC-Kano Central) Lilian Uche Ekwunife (PDP-Anambra Central) Gabriel Suswam (PDP-Benue North-East) Abba Moro (PDP-Benue South) Mohammed Bulkachuwa (APC-Bauchi North) Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP-Taraba South) Mohammed Hassan (APC-Zamfara Central) Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC-Ekiti North) Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP-Enugu East) Rochas Okorocha (APC-Imo West) Mohammed Sabo (APC-Jigawa South-West) Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano North) Ibrahim Gaidam (APC-Yobe East) Umar Sadiq (APC-Kwara North)