Former Senate Minority Leader Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has clarified widespread media reports regarding the National Assembly’s position on the rejection of the electronic transmission of the election results before passing the Electoral Act Bill.

Abaribe clarified barely 24 hours after the upper chamber came under fire on Wednesday, following reports that lawmakers had rejected proposals for the electronic transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote buyers and other electoral offenders.

Abaribe, stated this while speaking to journalists on Thursday, maintained that the caucus was compelled to address what he described as a widespread misunderstanding of Wednesday’s plenary proceedings.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had earlier dismissed the viral reports as misleading, stressing that legislators retained electronic transfer as provided under the 2022 Electoral Act.

Abaribe said, “Since yesterday, the media has been awash with reports suggesting that the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of election results. That is not correct.

“To put the record straight, the Senate did not — I repeat, did not — reject electronic transmission of results as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.”

He explained that what the Senate passed was the electronic transmission of results, a position which, according to him, was also clarified by the Senate President during plenary.

Abaribe stressed that senators hold public trust derived from the mandate given to them by their respective constituencies, adding that the caucus considered it necessary to address the issue in the interest of transparency.

“We came here under the trust of our senatorial districts. When it appears that our actions have been misunderstood, it becomes necessary to clarify exactly what happened,” he said.

The former Senate Minority Leader said the legislative process that led to the decision began with the joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on electoral matters.

According to him, the joint committee held several retreats within and outside Abuja, with the participation of the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations.

“At the end of those retreats, everyone agreed that electronic transmission of results was the way to go. That position was reflected in the reports presented to both chambers,” he said.

He noted that the process also involved extensive debates, public hearings, and consultations, describing electronic transmission of results as a core, non-negotiable provision.

Following the submission of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters’ report, Abaribe said an Ad hoc Committee was constituted to further review the report.

The Ad hoc Committee, chaired by Senator Sadiq Umar, presented its findings, which were deliberated upon during a closed-door session.

“The closed session was held to tidy up all outstanding issues so that when we returned to plenary, the bill could be passed without rancour,” he explained.

According to him, the Senate Electoral Committee, the Ad hoc Committee, and senators at the executive session unanimously agreed on the provision for electronic transmission of results, as contained in Section 65 of the bill.

“At plenary yesterday, we passed the electronic transmission of results. However, because of movement and noise in the chamber, it appeared to some that something went wrong,” he said.

“There was a joint committee of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, made up of members of the electoral committees in both chambers,” Abaribe said. “These joint committees had several retreats, both in Abuja and elsewhere, and each of those retreats was done with INEC and civil society organisations.”

He added, “Everyone agreed, and at the end of the retreats, that electronic transmission of results was the way to go. That agreement was reflected in the reports laid before both the House and the Senate.”

Abaribe dismissed claims that any clause supporting electronic transmission was removed at any stage of the Senate process.

“There was no going backwards,” he said. “As the Senate President reiterated yesterday, we are not going backwards; rather, we are going home.”

He disclosed that after the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters was presented, the Senate constituted an ad hoc committee to further review it.

“It was the report of that ad hoc committee, alongside the report of the Senate electoral committee and the executive session we held, that led to our agreement on Clause 60(3), which provides for electronic transmission of results, including real-time transmission,” he said.

He noted that confusion arose during plenary because of the crowded chamber and multiple conversations, prompting some senators to seek further clarification after the session.

“We went back individually to find out exactly what was done, and we were reassured,” Abaribe said. “The Senate President himself confirmed – and you have the videos – that we passed electronic transmission of results.”

On the next steps, Abaribe explained that a harmonisation committee had been set up to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, but stressed that the process was not yet concluded.

Abaribe assured Nigerians that senators would insist that the electronic transmission provision remained intact.

“After we pass the Votes and Proceedings — and we are going to insist and ensure that what we passed, which is electronic transmission, is there — then the harmonisation committee will meet,” he said.

He explained that the harmonisation process was straightforward.

“What happens in harmonisation is simple,” Abaribe said. “You either adopt the House version or you adopt the Senate version, and that is what will be forwarded as a single document for presidential assent.”

The senators said the clarification was necessary to reassure Nigerians that the Senate remained committed to credible, transparent and technology-driven elections.