Electoral Act: David Mark Tells Akpabio Not to Speak for INEC

The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has responded to comments by Senate President Godswill Akpabio regarding the ongoing debate over the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.

Mark spoke on Saturday at the launch of The Burdens of Legislators in Nigeria, a book authored by former Senator Effiong Bob, held at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja.

The former Senate President urged Akpabio to confine his remarks to the legislative responsibilities of the National Assembly, stressing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be allowed to determine its own operational capacity.

He said the central demand of Nigerians remains the introduction of real-time electronic transmission of election results.

“Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don’t speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly. What the public wants is, let there be electronic transmission. If INEC cannot do it, that is their problem, not ours,” Mark stated.

He described the disagreement over INEC’s readiness or capacity to implement electronic transmission as a secondary issue, insisting that the priority should be the passage of legislation enabling the process.

Mark maintained that the focus of lawmakers should be on providing the legal framework that guarantees transparency in elections, rather than debating the technical capabilities of the electoral body.