Faced with growing criticisms over attempts to surreptitiously remove electronic transmission of results in the draft of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday returned the controversial clause to the bill.
THISDAY learnt the committee took the decision at an emergency meeting in Abuja.
The National Assembly has been under fire since Sunday when the news broke that the new draft bill, which provides for a total ban of electronic transmission of votes is to be introduced at the Senate today.
The provision forms part of the 121-page document to be laid before the upper legislative chamber at plenary by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Kabir Gaya.
But the draft bill was said to be at variance with what was earlier agreed to by the committees of the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Critics on Monday had called attempts by the federal legislators to expunge the electronic transmission of results from the draft bill as a plot to rig the 2023 general election ahead of time.
