Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has pointed out the area he sees at the most problematic aspect of the judgment by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
JOURNALIST101 recalls that the Presidential Election Petition Court on Tuesday, dismissed the petitions of Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party and People’s Democratic Party against the election of Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.Â
Ruling on the electronic transmission of results from the polling units as prescribed by the 2022 Electoral Act, Justice Tsammani-led panel said the act wasn’t specific in this regard.
In my view, the Electoral Act, 2022 has used the words “deliver”, “transfer” and “transmitted directly” interchangeably to describe how the results of the election shall be moved from one stage to another until the results are finally collated and declared. In all these, the Electoral Act, 2022 has not specifically provided that the results of the election shall be electronically transmitted.
Writing via his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Inibehe said: “I consider this the most problematic aspect of the judgment.
“I am unable understand how delivery of physical results to the collation centre is the same as transfer or transmission of results DIRECTLY FROM POLLING UNITS.
“The Act provides for both distinctly under distinct provisions. I do not think that parliament was engaging in tautology.
” ‘Transmitted directly from polling units’ in my respectful view simply means that the results should be transmitted at the polling units, and not outside the polling units.”
