The Ogun State Residence Electoral Commissioner (REC), Olusegun Agbaje, has said the commission does not need the backing of the National Assembly and the approval of the National Communication Commission (NCC) to transmit election results electronically.
Agbaje disagreed with the National Assembly’s position that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had no constitutional backing to transmit election results electronically without the approval of NCC.
Agbaje said this on Thursday while speaking at a press briefing as the new REC in the state.
The National Assembly had insisted that the commission must seek the approval of NCC before transmitting election results electronically.
He urged the federal lawmakers not to stop INEC from performing its constitutional role.
According to the REC, it will be a great disservice to Nigerians and Nigeria’s democracy if the National Assembly prevents INEC from transmitting election results electronically.
He said, “The commission is in no way shy in transmitting election results electronically. In fact, we have the capacity to do that. We are only waiting for the National Assembly not to disturb us. Even as we are now today, I believe that the commission has enough reason and legislation to back us to do this.
“People have been saying there is no law backing this, but we have law. Unfortunately that law signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan was not brought out before the 2015 general election, but it was signed before the election.”
Agbaje, however, lamented the low participation of eligible voters in the first quarter of the ongoing Continuous Voters’ Registration in the state.
