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Electronic transmission of election results still in Electoral Act – Senate

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The Senate
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The Senate has dismissed as false media reports that  it rejected the electronic transmission of election results during consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

The clarification came from the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, shortly after the upper chamber passed the bill following a marathon session lasting about 4.5 hours.

Consideration of the contentious amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill began at about 2pm and stretched until 6.26pm, fuelling speculation online that lawmakers had voted against mandatory electronic transmission of results.

However, news made the rounds that the Senate shot down a proposal that would have compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit results electronically from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal in real time, after signing and stamping the prescribed result forms.

According to the reports, the Senate was said to have instead retained the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

Akpabio insisted that the interpretation was misleading, stressing that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission from the law.

He said, “Distinguished colleagues, the social media is already awash with reports that the Senate has literally rejected electronic transmission of results. That is not true. What we did was to retain the electronic transmission that was in the act and was used in 2022.

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“So please, do not allow people to confuse you. If you are in doubt, we will make our final votes and proceedings available to you upon request.

“This Senate under my watch has not rejected the electronic transmission of results. It is in my interest as a participant in the next election for such to be done. So please don’t go with the crowd.

“We have retained what was in the previous provision by way of amendment. That was all we did. The previous previous has made allowance for electronic transmission. So it is still there as part of our law. We cannot afford to be going backwards.”

The issue of electronic transmission of results has remained a sensitive and highly debated aspect of Nigeria’s electoral reforms since the 2023 general elections, with civil society groups and opposition parties consistently pushing for clearer and more explicit legal backing to strengthen transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

Akpabio’s intervention was aimed at calming public concerns and correcting what he described as deliberate or careless misrepresentation of the Senate’s action on the bill, as the National Assembly continues work on amendments ahead of future elections. (Vanguard)

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My govt cares – Tinubu reassures Nigerians amid worsening insecurity, hardship

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President Bola Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu has restated that his government is committed to addressing the country’s main problems, including economic difficulties, power shortages and safety issues.

Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tinubu stated that his government is still focused on policies aimed at helping the poorest and most at-risk Nigerians.

He said: “We won’t stop moving forward, and we’ll keep looking for ways to help those who are struggling.

“This is a government that really cares.”

He noted that having steady power supply is very important for development, stressing that industrial growth and learning new skills mostly rely on having dependable electricity.

“You can’t have industrial growth, learning new skills, or people gaining strength without having enough power.

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“I promise Nigerians that we will provide electricity to support our country’s development,” he said.

The president also thanked Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for the way he leads the state.

“Diri has shown the strength of leading with a clear purpose, and I am here today making a promise that the challenges we face, along with the legacy of those who led this country, including the battles and difficulties of ensuring security, will be met with hard work to properly equip and train our men and women in the Armed Forces. We will defeat terrorism and banditry.”

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BREAKING: Ebonyi Catholic Bishop, Peter Chukwu is dead

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Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter ChukwuP
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The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Dr Peter Chukwu is dead.

A source said the Bishop died where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Meanwhile, a social media influencer, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, in a post on his Facebook page, mourned the demise of the Bishop.

He wrote, “A very bad one for us in Ebonyi State. The loss of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter Chukwu is a terrible loss.

“This loss is huge. God knows why, but it’s painful losing him in his 50s. A refined man and Associate Professor. This loss is beyond Ezza’s loss. It’s well. We can’t take war to God’s place. Kidney transplant issue. NCN.”

The authorities of the Catholic Church is expected to issue an official statement announcing the demise of the Bishop.

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Terrorism: Ex-Borno senatorial candidate jailed 10 years

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years’ imprisonment for aiding terrorism through the sale of petroleum products to insurgents.

The trial judge, Peter Lifu, convicted Habeeb on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed by the Federal Government.

Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had pleaded guilty to the charge upon arraignment, admitting that he sold fuel to members of the Boko Haram operating in the North-East.

The convict, however, claimed that the transactions might have been carried out by attendants at his filling station.

During the proceedings, Habeeb appealed for leniency, kneeling in the dock as he urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

He told the court that he had two wives and six children and had been in detention for over 10 years without contact with his family.

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Counsel to the Federal Government, David Kaswe, opposed the plea, arguing that the support provided to the terrorist group had serious consequences.

Kaswe submitted that the supply of fuel enabled the insurgents to power motorcycles used in attacks, leading to loss of lives and displacement of communities.

He urged the court to impose a stiffer penalty, noting that although the defendant had spent over a decade in custody, a 20-year sentence would be appropriate.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that there was no evidence establishing that the defendant was a member of Boko Haram or had undergone weapons training.

He, however, ruled that the admission of selling fuel to the insurgents was sufficient to sustain the charge of aiding terrorism.

The judge also noted that the prosecution did not challenge the defendant’s claim of prolonged detention.

Justice Lifu consequently sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment.

He ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of the convict’s arrest and detention.

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