E-transmission: INEC should be left to decide, says Fayemi

The Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has publicly reacted to the controversy generated on the amendment of the electoral Act, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be left to determine when and how to use the electoral transmission of results in the country.

The governor who spoke on Monday night in an interview session on Channels Television and monitored by the Nigerian Tribune noted that the national assembly ought to have left INEC to decide on the electoral transmission of election results putting in mind the independence of the commission.

The National Assembly had on July 15 deliberated extensively on the Electoral Amendment Bill with the House of Representatives passing the bill moments after opposition lawmakers walked out of the heated session.

While the House passed the majority of the 158 clauses of the bill intact including Clause 52 (2), the Senate only approved the conditional electronic transmission of electoral results and voted publicly along party lines over section 52(3) of the electoral act amendment bill, which deals with electronic transmission of poll results.

Fayemi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said the drama that trailed the passage of the bill before the parliament was unnecessary.

According to him, “Personally, I feel we should leave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to handle and decide when or where to utilise the electronic transmission, not the principle of it.

“I feel that the hullabaloo around this could have been avoided partly because I feel it is something that we must not over-regulate, particularly the activities of an independent commission.

“If I have the opportunity to have been asked, I would have actually argued strongly that we leave this matter for the electoral commission to handle rather than micro-manage the commission or bringing the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) as the final arbitral on what happens to the electoral commission.”

On the rumoured 2023 presidential ambition, Fayemi noted his priority is to finish his tenure as governor on a high note and that the future will take care of itself.

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