We have accomplished our mission: Senate President Lawan

“We have passed the conference committee report on PIB and the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010.”

President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan congratulated senator on Thursday after considering the votes and proceedings on Thursday’s plenary, declaring that the Senate has accomplished the goal it set for the day.

Mr Lawan then announced the adjournment of the Senate until September 14 for its annual summer recess.

He congratulated the senators for devoting and sacrificing so much time towards achieving their goals.

“You will all recall that at the beginning of the ninth senate, we resolved to have a legislative agenda and in our legislative agenda, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 were very key, central and pillars of what we set for ourselves to do,” Mr Lawan said.

“We have achieved those two issues that we set for ourselves.

We have passed the conference committee report on the PIB.”

“I would like to say our conference committee has finished its job.

It has done that diligently and therefore the conference committee ceases to exist,” he added.

On the passage of the controversial Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the senate president insisted that electronic transmission of results was not feasible in the short order, saying technology would be entrenched in the nation’s electioneering in future.

“Time will come when all parts of Nigeria will have the coverage that we all need to deploy our technology to ensure electronic transmission of our election results.

“This has come to settle the issue of what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can do and what it cannot. We are giving INEC an Electoral Act amended to enhance its performance.

“There is a distinction between electronic voting and transmission. Electronic voting has been adopted by the senate.

“So we need to enlighten our people so that they can participate in the process.

INEC should do its own part of enlightening Nigerians,” he said.