Isaac Samuel
The House of Representatives has aligned with the Senate in approving electronic transmission of election results, while also retaining manual collation as a safeguard in cases of technical failure.
The approval followed the consideration and adoption of Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill, during the committee of the whole presided over by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu on Tuesday.
The approval however, came with protest by the minority caucus which staged a walk out after the adoption of the clause.
Under the provision as passed by the House, the Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal after the prescribed Form EC8A has been duly signed and stamped.
The form may also be countersigned by candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit.
The section, however, introduces a proviso that where electronic transmission fails due to communication challenges, and it becomes impossible to upload the signed and stamped Form EC8A, the physical Form EC8A shall remain the primary source for collation and declaration of results.
The section reads, “The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to IREV portal and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or Polling agents where available at the Polling Unit.
“Provided that if the electronic transmission of the result fails as a result of communication failure and it becomes impossible to transmit the result contained in form EC8A signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and countersigned by the candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit, the form EC8A shall remain the primary source of collation and declaration of the result”
