By PUNCH Newspaper
The Peoples Democratic Party senator representing Anambra North Senatorial Diatrict, Stella Oduah, has explained that she abstained from the physical headcount at the Senate on Thursday because of her membership of the Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The INEC panel submitted its report on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 on Thursday and the Senate called for a division to approve an amendment to Section 52(3) which his to do with the transmission of election results.
All the PDP senators except two, who were inside the Senate chamber voted in support of electronic transmission of election results while members of the All Progressives Congress voted against it.
Oduah and 28 others, across both parties, abstained from the poll.
The Senator, however, explained reasons for her action in a statement titled, “I did participate in Division in Protest – Senator Oduah,” issued in Abuja on Friday.
Oduah, who is the Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, and member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Act Amendment Bill, and that of the Petroleum Industry Bill, said she refused to take part in the head count because she could not be seen rejecting the resolution her Committee had agreed on.
She said, “We took time to arrive at that decision at the Committee meeting and coming to Plenary to reject it will be unjust that was why I walked out.
“In as much as number is a very significant decider in Parliament, we should also take decisions having future projection and nation development in mind.”
It will be recalled that the Chairman of the INEC panel that made the recommendation, Kabiru Gaya, also voted against his panel’s report.
