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Electoral Act: Akpabio hits back at critics…Says Senate never reject electronic transmission of results
By Saint Mugaga
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed criticisms trailing the Senate’s amendment of the Electoral Act, saying commentators and civil society actors are misjudging the legislature based on an incomplete legislative process and misunderstanding of parliamentary procedures.
Akpabio spoke in Abuja as special guest of honour at the unveiling of a book, “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria”, authored by Senator Effiong Bob, in Abuja.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the removal of the phrase “real-time” electronic transmission of election results, Akpabio said the Senate had not concluded work on the bill and that public debate was premature.
“The Electoral Act amendment is incomplete. We have not completed it, but they are already on television. They don’t understand lawmaking.
“They don’t even know that what is in the Senate is not completed until we look at the Votes and Proceedings,” he said.
Akpabio explained that the Votes and Proceedings stage allows senators to correct, amend, or clarify decisions taken on the floor before final approval, stressing that only after that process could the Senate’s position be considered final.
“When we bring out the Votes and Proceedings, any senator has a right to rise and say, ‘On clause three, this was what we agreed upon.’ That is the only time you can talk about what the Senate has done or not done,” he said.
He criticised commentators for what he described as “abuse” of the legislature, accusing some civil society actors of attempting to impose their views on lawmakers.
“People have become mouth legislators. Go and contest election if you want to talk about lawmaking and go and join them and make the law. Retreats are not lawmaking; retreats are part of consultations. So why do you think that the paper you agreed in Lagos during a retreat must be what is agreed on the floor?” he asked.
Akpabio insisted that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of election results, clarifying that lawmakers only questioned the requirement for real-time transmission.
“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission. If you want to use a bicycle to carry your votes from one polling unit to the ward centre, do so. If you want to use your phone to transmit, do so. If you want to use your iPad, do so,” he said.
He said the concern was that mandating real-time transmission could lead to legal disputes if network failures occurred during elections.
“All we said was that we should remove the word ‘real time,’ because if you say real time and there is grid failure and the network is not working, when you go to court somebody will say it ought to have been real time,” he explained.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should determine the mode and timing of result transmission within the framework of the law.
The Senate President warned that insisting on real-time transmission could invalidate results in areas with poor connectivity or insecurity.
“Real time means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results. Nationally, if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid,” he said.
He cited a Supreme Court ruling which, he said, acknowledged Nigeria’s inadequate infrastructure and emphasised that electronic transmission is only supplementary to the statutory collation process.
“The result is in Form EC8A. It will be carried from the polling unit to the ward centre, from there to the local government collation centre, to the senatorial collation centre, to the state collation centre, and finally the national collation centre,” he said.
Akpabio stressed that the amendment bill had not yet completed the bicameral legislative process and that a conference committee would reconcile differences between the Senate and House of Representatives versions before final passage.
“It is only when we have finished that that you will now say the National Assembly has passed any amendment to the Electoral Act,” he said.
He urged critics to allow the process to run its course, warning against attempts to “rubbish the process” before its conclusion.
Akpabio said electoral reforms must be grounded in legal and institutional capacity, warning against imposing technology beyond the country’s infrastructure.
“We insist that electoral reforms must be anchored in law, guided by capacity, secured against abuse and applied uniformly across the nation. Technology must serve democracy; it must not endanger democracy,” he said.
He added: “You stay in a place that has no wire, no light, and you want to put in the law ‘real time.’ Progress must not bring about injustice.”
The Senate President warned that mistrust of institutions without understanding legislative processes could weaken democracy.
“When people do not understand their legislature, democracy is at risk. Democracy is measured not by passion alone, but by principles,” he said.
He also recalled that the current Electoral Act enabled competitive elections in 2023, including losses by the then ruling party in key states.
“This same Electoral Act made the incumbent party almost lose millions of votes. We lost in places like Lagos and Kano. New parties won whole regions with the same act, whether real-time electronic transfer or not,” he said.
Akpabio concluded that laws must be made for posterity rather than partisan advantage, adding: “You don’t make law for an individual or for opposition. You make law to outlast you, for generations unborn.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who was the chairman of occasion, urged the National Assembly to pass the Bill and not to speak for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“What the ADC is saying is, pass the law. Let INEC decide whether they can do it (real-time electronic transmission) or not. Don’t speak for INEC.
“The stand of ADC is clear; pass the bill and let INEC decide on what it will do with it”, Mark said.
Several speakers at the event, including Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, and the book reviewer, Professor Maxwell Gidado SAN, praised Senator Bob’s courage in writing the book to bring to light the challenges the Nigerian legislator faces in the course of performing his duties.
The author Senator Bob enumerated some of the challenges, saying that they included electoral battles, conflict with governors/godfathers, the judiciary through cancellation of victory, addressing the private issues of the electorate and self-inflicted challenges.
“The courage to defend democracy is in the legislature and the legislators”, he said.
By Felix Umande, from Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has called for a deeper strategic partnership with the United Nations to tackle the state’s humanitarian, agricultural and climate challenges, insisting that Benue is prepared to convert its vulnerabilities into long-term resilience.
The governor made the appeal on Thursday at Government House, Makurdi, while hosting the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, on her official visit to the state.
Framing his administration’s request around food security, climate resilience and human dignity, Alia said Benue’s future hinges on collaborative global action rather than short-term interventions.
“What we seek is not charity, but collaboration. Not isolated projects, but integrated systems. Not temporary relief, but lasting transformation,” the governor told the UN delegation.
Describing Benue as Nigeria’s “Food Basket of the Nation,” Alia noted that the state occupies a critical position in Nigeria and West Africa’s food systems but remains under severe strain from farmer-herder conflicts, climate-related shocks and a humanitarian caseload of more than 500,000 internally displaced persons.
Since assuming office in 2023, he said, his government has pursued an integrated development agenda aimed at rebuilding institutions, restoring dignity and unlocking economic opportunities across key sectors. “We are not waiting for change, but building structures that enable change,” he added.
On education, the governor disclosed that his administration has rehabilitated more than 375 public schools, recruited 9,700 teachers at the basic education level, rolled out free education policies and established new technical and higher institutions.
In the health sector, he listed the rehabilitation of 104 rural health centres, revitalisation of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, and expansion of maternal and child healthcare services as key milestones.
Alia said strategic road and transport projects are being deployed to link rural and urban economies and unlock agricultural productivity, while over 10,000 youths have already been trained in digital skills under the state’s ICT empowerment programmes.
He stressed that humanitarian response remains central to his administration’s priorities, particularly in conflict-affected communities. “These are not just interventions; they are pathways from displacement to dignity,” he said, referencing shelter provision, farmland allocation, livelihood restoration and post-crisis rebuilding efforts in Yelewata for internally displaced persons.
To consolidate gains, the governor formally sought UN collaboration in five strategic areas: climate resilience and restoration of the River Benue; agro-industrial mechanisation; human capital development in education and health; community stabilisation and security; and the creation of a Benue SDG Transition and Resilience Financing Facility.
Reaffirming the state’s ambition to become a model of sub-national transformation, Gov. Alia declared: “Benue is ready to lead, to partner and to deliver results that matter — not just for the Benue people, but as a model for Nigeria and the global community.”
By Wale Gbadebo
As African economies continue to evolve, notable disparities persist in the strength of national currencies, particularly in exchange rate value.
Latest data for March 2026 identifies the ten strongest African currencies, underscoring levels of economic stability, trade influence, and the impact of monetary policies across the respective countries.
- Tunisia – 2.93 Tunisian Dinar
The Tunisian Dinar ranks as Africa’s strongest currency in 2026, underpinned by the country’s relatively stable economy and solid trade position in North Africa. - Libya – 6.38 Libyan Dinar
The Libyan Dinar remains the country’s official currency and is widely used despite years of economic strain linked to prolonged instability. - Morocco – 9.34 Moroccan Dirham
The Moroccan Dirham reflects a stable economy supported by tourism, agriculture, and phosphate exports. - Ghana – 10.95 Ghanaian Cedi
Ghana’s Cedi plays a central role in West Africa’s economy, driven by the country’s strong export base in gold and cocoa. - Botswana – 13.78 Botswana Pula
The Pula—meaning “rain” in Setswana—symbolises wealth and stability in Botswana’s diamond-backed economy. - Seychelles – 14.35 Seychellois Rupee
The Seychellois Rupee is sustained by the island nation’s tourism-driven economy, a key pillar of its revenue base. - Eritrea – 15.00 Eritrean Nakfa
Introduced in 1997, the Eritrean Nakfa reflects the country’s efforts to maintain monetary independence. - South Africa – 17.09 South African Rand
The South African Rand remains a dominant currency in southern Africa, playing a pivotal role in regional trade and commerce. - Swaziland – 17.16 Swazi Lilangeni
The Lilangeni, pegged to the South African Rand, serves as Eswatini’s official currency and underscores regional monetary cooperation. - Lesotho – 17.17 Lesotho Lot
The Lesotho Lot, also linked to the Rand, circulates alongside it and supports the country’s domestic trade and monetary system.
Source: The Nation
From Felix Umande, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly has taken a decisive action to address the Nigerian Air Force’s alleged atrocities in Ugondo and Mbaivur communities by summoning the Commissioner of Lands and Director of Lands to provide it with relevant documents related to all land allocations to military formations in the state.
The move followed a motion by Hon. Douglas Akya, representing Makurdi South State Constituency on Tuesday during plenary, who highlighted the intimidation, harassment, and land grabbing by the Air Force.
The House further called on the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army to immediately cease all forms of intimidation and harassment allegedly being carried out by their personnel against the host communities.
The House also mandated its Standing Committees on Lands, Surveys and Solid Minerals and Local Government, Security and Chieftaincy Affairs to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks.
During the plenary, the Benue State House also passed into law the Benue State security and trust fund bill into law.
The bill which seeks the establishment of the Benue State Security Trust Fund to create a pool of funds for the acquisition and deployment of security equipment to end security challenges in the State was passed after scaling through a third reading during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga.
Part of the funds, according to the bill, shall be reserved for the training and retraining of security personnel to enable them to contend with the current security needs of the state.
The Honourable Speaker directed the clerk of the House, Dr. Bem Faasema Mela, to make clean copies of the bills for the governor’s assent.
Speaker Rt Honourable Berger Alfred Emberga emphasized the importance of addressing insecurity and existential threats in Benue State hence the bills were passed unanimously by members.
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