Benin- Saturday 17 July 2021: Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy President of the Senate, on Friday said members of the nine session of the Senate voted for electronic transmission of election results with a clause that all electoral units across the country must have 100 percent internet coverage.

He said presently, the coun­try’s electoral units only have 43 percent internet coverage, pointing out that the Senators tried to avoid a situation where election results are transmitted electronically in some areas while the areas without internet coverage still depend on analogue. He said those accusing the Senators of voting against e-voting and e-re­sults transmission misunderstood the Senate’s position.

Sen. Omo-Agege made the clarification in a key note address titled, ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Experience Since 1999: The Imperative of Reforming The Electoral Process’ he delivered at the 16th convocation ceremony of Ben­son Idahosa University, Benin City.

The deputy Senate president also called for stringent sanction against electoral offences perpe­trators to safeguard the sanctity of the nation’s electoral process.

Accordingtohim, “regardless of the source, electoral offences perpetrated by officials of the Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) and officials of political parties, candidates and voters have to be tackled frontally to safeguard the sanctity of the electoral process of the nation.”

Omo-Agege also observed that another obvious challenge is what has been described as the judicialisation of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He said, “it is a big source of erosion of citizens’ confidence in the electoral process that the courts rather than members of the political parties or the electorate as the case maybe, determine winners of party primaries and election seven when the evidence runs to the contrary.

“Examples of judicial deci­sions that assault the heart of democratic politics are legion.

“Thepointhereisnottoques­tion the role of the courts since electoral justice and the adjudi­catory process are recognised as parts and parcel of the electoral process.

“However, the widespread perception that the judiciary lacks independence from the executiveand thatpeoplepayfor judicial outcomes that advance theirpersonalandgroupInterest raisesaquestionmarkaboutthe legitimacy of some elected pub­lic officials.

“The country, therefore, needs to urgently address the members of the political class to observe the letters and the spirit of the rules of the game and for the judiciary to be aware that its perception as the temple of justice and the defense of the common man will contribute to the durability of the country’s democratic process.”