The former Deputy Senate President and Senator representing Enugu West Constituency, Senator Ike Ekweremmadu have called on Nigerians to cheer up and stop mourning over the rejection of electronic transmission of electoral results by the National Assembly adding that there is still hope of making sure that every vote in our elections count.
Senator Ekweremmadu who is also a Professor of Law made this known recently while speaking at the launching of a book titled THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF IMPEACHEMENT IN NIGERIA written by Prof. Uwakwe of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University in Anambra State.
Senator Ekweremmadu stated that National Assembly will constitute a Conference Committee after the recession which will either adopt the recommendations of the House or the Senate adding that the Conference Committee may likely toe the line of patriotism which will ensure that all Nigerian votes count.
He maintained that electronic transmission of results is not a complicated technology adding that one can use either the WhatsApp technology or Satellite technology. According to him, ‘this is a very simple technology, there is no local government headquarters in Nigeria that doesn’t have network, so all you need to do is to take a photograph of the result sheet and when you get to the local government headquarters you transmit and it will immediately show in INEC portal
The former Deputy Senate President commended INEC for assuring Nigerians that it is capable and able to transmit all results electronically in all parts of Nigeria emphasizing that what INEC did in Edo, Ondo, Kaduna and so many other parts of country was encouraging. According to him, ‘ I was in Edo State to monitor the Governorship election and what INEC did with the unit to unit electronic result transmission was great. Apart from ensuring that all votes count, the electronic transmission of results naturally eliminates tuggry, ballot box snatching, falsification of results etc. “
Senator Ekweremmadu also reminded Nigerians that the1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria empowers INEC to conduct all elections, collate and declare results adding that nobody can make laws to interfere on INEC constitutional rights adding that such laws will be null and void to the extent of the interference.
He expressed hope that despite what may happen at the National Assembly INEC will still do the needful by adopting any system that will make the vote of Nigerians count and eliminate most of the electoral frauds that makes Nigeria a laughing stock among the committee of nations.