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Senator Umeh gives detailed clarification on Senate’s amendments to Electoral Act
Victor Umeh, the senator representing Anambra Central, has said that more than 85% of senators supported the electronic transmission of election results during deliberations on the Electoral Act amendment.
On Wednesday, the Senate retained the provision for electronic transmission of results as contained in the Electoral Act 2022.
However, the red chamber rejected proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban for vote buyers, choosing instead to maintain the existing penalties of fines or jail terms.
The clarification followed public backlash after reports claimed that lawmakers had rejected electronic transmission and stricter sanctions for electoral offences.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview, Umeh said claims that the Senate rejected electronic transmission of results misrepresented the chamber’s decision.
He explained that the resolution emerged from an extensive legislative process involving readings, consultations and public hearings across the country.

“It takes a process to make a law. A bill must go through readings, public hearings and consultations before debate and passage. Law is not made by the national assembly alone. It is made by carrying Nigerians along,” he said.
Umeh noted that the controversial nature of the 2023 general elections heightened public expectations that the amended Electoral Act would improve credibility and restore confidence in future polls.
He said the amendment of Clause 60 of the Electoral Act 2022, which addresses the transmission of results, enjoyed unanimous backing during the Senate’s consultations.
According to him, the issue featured prominently at retreats, zonal public hearings and joint sessions organised by the National Assembly on the bill.
“It is good to say that in all these retreats, all these zonal public hearings, all the consultations and joint sessions we had, one issue received unanimous approval and demand from the public, and that is to amend Clause 60 of the Electoral Act of 2022 as it affects transmission of results,” he said.
Umeh reiterated that stakeholders agreed to clearly provide for electronic transmission of results in order to avoid future legal ambiguities.
“It is based on these that all the stakeholders decided that this amendment will provide for the electronic transmission of results, so that where there is a dispute again, the court will not say that it is unknown to law,” he said.
The lawmaker added that both chambers worked separately on the amendment, noting that the House of Representatives had already passed its version with explicit provisions for electronic transmission.
Umeh further said that an eight-member ad hoc committee set up by Senate President Godswill Akpabio also retained the electronic transmission provision in its report to the Senate.
“Of course, it was debated exhaustively, because their committee retained the electronic transmission of results on what they brought back to the senate,” he said.
“Over 85% of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground. Even the ad hoc committee of the senate agreed to it.”
He also dismissed claims that the provision was removed during plenary, insisting that no such debate took place.
“Eventually, I heard that somebody said they want to expunge ‘transmission’ and somebody seconded. It was not debated,” he said.
“If such a major alteration to what has been generally agreed to were to come up again, it would be thrown open again. We didn’t debate anything like that.”
Umeh explained that polling unit results would be transmitted electronically to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), adding that the only change approved was the removal of the phrase “in real-time” due to concerns over possible technical delays.

News
UK-based Nigerian divorces wife after viral cheating allegation
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, identified on X as Ugo (@heismric), has confirmed the end of his marriage after publicly alleging that his wife was involved in infidelity while he was working abroad and funding her education and family life.
Ugo, who shared a series of emotional posts that later went viral, said the marriage has now been officially dissolved, adding that he received confirmation of the final order from the UK courts.
The couple’s relationship had previously been widely admired online.
According to him, the relationship began with a proposal in January 2023, followed by marriage in December 2023. They later welcomed a child in 2024, after which he relocated his wife to the United Kingdom.
He claimed he took full responsibility for the family’s financial needs, including paying her school fees and supporting her throughout pregnancy and childbirth.
He also said he went as far as developing digital applications to support her well-being and their child, describing his efforts as part of his commitment to building a stable home.

After the birth of their child, he reportedly bought her a car as a “push gift,” a gesture that was widely shared online at the time as a sign of affection.
However, the relationship later deteriorated following allegations of infidelity. In now-deleted posts, Ugo accused his wife of bringing another man into their home while he was working in the United Kingdom.
In one of the viral tweets, he wrote, ”It’s crazy you’re in my house, sleeping with another man, but I’m in London working my ass out to pay your school fees in GBP. No! Send your tuition to that man. He’s man enough to sleep with another man’s wife; he should match it with his funds. Divorce finalised, gtf.”
He also alleged that members of his wife’s family did not condemn the situation, but instead continued to demand financial support for her education.
“Because her family didn’t see anything wrong in it, but have the audacity to ask me about her tuition. Also I know the man, and his stupid ass is on my Instagram and X viewing my posts. Talking about, ‘I miss you, when am I seeing you again’ while she responds ‘as you should,’” he further wrote.
As the story gained traction online, reactions were divided, with some users sympathising with him while others criticised him for airing private marital issues on social media.
Some also revisited his earlier posts showing public displays of affection, noting that he had frequently expressed love for his wife online, while she maintained a relatively low public profile.
In a follow-up post on Monday confirming the separation, Ugo wrote,”UGO’s wife. Divorce is finalised. It’s ex-wife.”
He later shared a screenshot of an official divorce notification from the UK HM Courts and Tribunals Service, confirming that the final order had been granted, thereby legally ending the marriage.

News
Three senators, 16 Reps members who betrayed Obi and should be rejected by NDC — Obi’s aide
The Special Adviser to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, on Media and Publicity, Valentine Obienyem, has argued that politicians who allegedly benefited from Obi’s political popularity in 2023 before defecting to other parties should not be allowed back into the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obienyem, in an opinion article titled “Why Political Opportunists Must Not Be Allowed to Run Again,” said some politicians secured elective positions during the “Peter Obi wave” of 2022 despite having little independent electoral prospects, only to abandon the political movement shortly after assuming office.
According to him, a number of elected officials rode on Obi’s political momentum to win elections before defecting to the ruling party, while a few others remained loyal and moved alongside the former presidential candidate through successive political transitions.
“During the Peter Obi wave in 2022, many individuals — some of whom never realistically had prospects of electoral victory — secured positions largely on the strength of his popularity and political momentum,” Obienyem stated.
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He added: “Shortly after settling into offices, several of them defected to other political parties. A few, however, recognizing the pivotal role Obi played in their electoral success remained with him. This explains why some have consistently moved with him from the Labour Party to the ADC and subsequently to the NDC. This pattern is often described as ‘following your leader.’”
The presidential aide argued that some of those who defected to the ruling party were now seeking a return to the NDC as another election cycle approaches, alleging that their interest was driven by the desire to benefit again from Obi’s political influence.
“Now, as another election cycle approaches, some of those who previously defected to the APC are either returning to the NDC or signaling intentions to return. Their primary motivation is the desire to once again ride on Obi’s political influence,” he said.

Describing such actions as political opportunism, Obienyem maintained that the NDC should resist granting party tickets to politicians who had previously abandoned the movement.
“This behaviour suggests a tendency to treat Obi as a mere political instrument — useful when advantageous and discarded when convenient. That is not a principled way to follow a leader,” he stated.
He further argued that defectors who left previous political platforms should not be allowed to displace longstanding party members, warning that repeated defections could weaken party cohesion and ideological consistency.
“We cannot continue to indulge opportunism in the name of political strategy,” he said, adding that individuals who felt “betrayed” by their former parties should seek alternative platforms if they believed they retained electoral value independently.
Obienyem listed three senators — Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Kelvin Chukwu and Neda Imasuen — among lawmakers he said defected after benefiting from Obi’s support base.
He also named 16 members of the House of Representatives, including Joshua Chinedu Obika, Chinedu Tochukwu Okere, Bassey Akiba, Ngozi Okolie and others, as politicians who should not be considered for return tickets under the NDC.
The comments signal growing internal debate over loyalty, defections and candidate selection within opposition politics as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

News
10 feared dead as gunmen attack convoy in Zamfara
At least 10 people have been killed after suspected bandits ambushed a convoy along the Gusau–Magami–Dansadau Road in Zamfara State.
Several others are injured in the attack, while an unspecified number of passengers are reportedly abducted by the gunmen.
Eyewitnesses say the incident occurs between 4pm and 5pm as vigilante operatives escort residents travelling through the route, considered one of the state’s most dangerous highways.
The attackers reportedly open fire on the convoy, triggering panic among travellers and security volunteers.
Those killed include five traders, three local hunters and a member of the Zamfara Community Protection Guards (CPG).
The injured victims are initially taken to Magami General Hospital for treatment before arrangements are made for their referral to Gusau for further medical care.

However, hospital sources say the victims remain stranded in Magami because there is no available security escort to facilitate their movement safely.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident as insecurity continues to plague several communities across Zamfara State.

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