Kenneth Okonkwo, a leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticised the Senate for permitting both manual and electronic transmission of election results.
The Senate amended Section 60 of the Electoral Act during its emergency plenary on Tuesday, allowing presiding officers at polling units to electronically transmit election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Results Viewing Portal (IREV), as previously reported by the Daily Post.
The legislation also allows INEC officials to use manual gearbox when there is no mobile network.
The Senate’s decision followed widespread outcry over its earlier rejection of electronic broadcasting.
In an interview with Channels TV, Kenneth Okonkwo criticised the lawmakers, branding the outcome of the extraordinary plenary as “419.”
He stated, “What I witnessed today in the Senate was treachery, deceit, and 419.
“They were merely stating that if there is a technical fault by INEC, utilise manual, which is exactly what happened in 2023.
“What we’ve been saying is that polling units’ results should be transmitted unconditionally. We don’t have anything like an electronic results collation system.”