We Have Capacity For Electronic Transmission Of Results In Remote Areas, Says INEC

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T HEIndependent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) yesterday declared that it has capacity and the required technological infrastructure to transmit results electronically in remote areas.

INEC’S National Chairman and Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, stated this during a Channels TV programme.

Lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly were divided on Thursday as members debated section

52( 3) of the electoral amendment act bill, which deals with electronic transmission.

Clause 52( 3) of the bill had prescribed that INEC might adopt electronic voting and transmission of results where practicable.

The section, which provided for INEC to determine electronic process of voting was, however, amended to empower the Nigerian Communication Commission ( NCC) to determine suitability of network to conduct electronic election processes with approval of the National Assembly.

The lawmakers who opposed electronic transmission of results argued that some parts of the country do not have the required network coverage.

An Executive Commissioner at the NCC, Adeleke Adewolu, told lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Friday that only 50 percent of the country has the 3G coverage required for transmission.