The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has debunked insinuations and accusations that the leadership of the National Assembly tampered with the report of its joint Committees on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
Lawan made the declaration after the upper legislative chamber received the report of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill laid on the floor of the Senate by the Chairman Senate Committee on INEC Senator Kabiru Gaya.
According to Lawan, those insinuating that the clause providing for electronic transmission of results from 8, 809 wards across the country to INEC Server, had been removed by the leadership of both chambers are misinformed, mischievous, and rabble-rousers.
He said the report laid before the senate is new to the leadership of the Senate which unfortunately had alleged to have been tampered with.
Lawan stressed that Whatever will be considered or adopted will be based on the content of the document laid before it and urged those who do not feel comfortable with any clause in the bill to lobby the senators or their representatives in the national assembly rather than resort to blackmailing the leadership of the national assembly.
Also Read: Senate President denies tampering with Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021
Senator Lawan added that his phone line and that of the speaker of the house of representatives Femi Gbajabiamila were published and he alone received over 900 messages in one day from concerned Nigerians accusing him of manipulating the document
The Senate President assured that the National Assembly will ensure transparency in considering the said Document
Lawan, affirms the Electoral bill will be distributed to all senators and considered on Thursday.
(Editor: Abaje Usekwe)
