By Daniel Abia

PORT HARCOURT — The National Assembly has been urged to act responsibly and avoid decisions that could spark a crisis over the electronic transmission of election results in real time.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, former state chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Eugene Ogu, expressed concern over recent developments in the National Assembly regarding the 2022 Electoral Act amendment.

Apostle Ogu highlighted that Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act stipulates that “the presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling unit agents, where available at the polling unit.”

He called on members of the National Assembly who are not part of any attempts to alter the agreed provisions to speak out, stressing that silence could undermine public trust in the legislative process.

Apostle Ogu urged civil society organisations, religious leaders, students, and the international community to remain vigilant to ensure that Nigerians’ rights to a transparent and free electoral process are protected.

He emphasised that any deviation from the agreed procedures for electronic transmission of results could erode confidence in the electoral process and harm national stability.

“The integrity of elections is critical for peace, security, and the proper functioning of democracy in Nigeria. All stakeholders must ensure that the agreed version of the electoral law is implemented faithfully,” he said.