Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Electoral Reform Committee, Monday Ubani, SAN, says the Senate’s proposal on the Electoral Reform Amendment Bill leaves room for error.

Ubani made this statement on Saturday while fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television.

He said that both electronic transmission and transfer involve manual collation that happens in collation centres, stressing that nothing has changed.

According to him, IREV is just for viewing results, maintaining that it does not calculate or tabulate results.

The lawyer added that the issue most Nigerians have with the Senate’s version is that there’s room for communications failure that can be illegally taken advantage of.

“The Senate proposed bill leaves room for electoral error. If there are differences, there will be a harmonization committee to look at those differences and come up with a harmonized version for transmission to the President for assent.

“And I’m very happy that the House of Representatives did theirs last year and then the Senate have actually also passed their own version and there are differences and then the committee will sit on Monday in order to harmonize that position.

“The position of the law, which is 2022 Act, was that it gave INEC the responsibility of issuing out a guideline or prescribing a guideline as to the mode of transfer.

“The problem with our electoral system has always been between the polling unit and the collation centre.

“The people have witnessed a situation where a different result will be declared at the collation centre, different from what happened at the polling unit,” he said.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained his decision to adopt what some critics described as “weakness” in his political confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

According to him, it was a deliberate move aimed at preserving peace, ensuring political survival, and safeguarding broader national interests.

Fubara made the remarks on Friday in Lagos while receiving a Man of the Year award at the New Telegraph Award/Dinner Night.

During his acceptance speech, he offered an emotional reflection on the pressures of leadership, ongoing political tensions, and efforts toward reconciliation in Rivers State.

“Today for me is a very special day, and also special for everyone who has believed in me, and I know for believing in me, you have a share of special pain,” the governor said.

Speaking on the prolonged political strain that has influenced governance in the state, Fubara noted that his strategy has often been misinterpreted by observers.

He emphasized that his choices were intentional and guided by a desire to maintain stability.

“Some of these pains, some persons described them as weakness, while others say it as being strong, but I choose for a lot of reasons to be weak. Weak, because I want peace.

“Weak, because we need to survive. Weak, because I need to also protect those things that are dear, not just to me, but to our dear nation,” he said.

In a remark likely to further influence political conversations, the governor added, “weakness is a virtue. It pays at the right time.”