2023: Fayemi states position on electronic transmission of election results

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should determine when to use the electoral transmission of results ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Fayemi spoke on Channels Television’s NewsNight, which aired on Monday.

He said, “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.”

Fayemi added, “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 bring the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) as the final arbitral on what happens to the electoral commission.”

It was reported that the National Assembly had on July 15 deliberated extensively on the Electoral Amendment Bill, with the House of Representatives passing the bill moments after the PDP lawmakers walked out of the heated session.

But 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 over section 52(3) of the electoral act amendment bill.