Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan on Wednesday denied rumours making the rounds that the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act, 2004 has been manipulated by the leadership of the upper and lower legislative Chambers.

There have been reports in sections of the media that the clause that deals with empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically has been hijacked by the All Progressives Congress (APC) parliamentarians.

Lawan described those behind the theory as mischief and rabble rousers, insisting the report was being laid on the floor of the Senate for the first time.

His outburst followed the presentation of the report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabir Gaya on Wednesday.

Lawan maintained: “There are various allegations and insinuations that the leadership of the Senate and by implication, the National Assembly has some time tampered with the report of the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of both Chambers.

“Those accusing the leadership of the National Assembly are misinformed and they are mischievous and rabble routers.

“The report was being laid for the first time.”

“This is the decision of the Committee and it will be discussed and considered.

” This report has been presented here and if anybody feels anything strong, should lobby distinguished Senators to take his position rather than blackmail the leadership because my telephone line was published and in one day I received over 900 SMS messages, saying we have manipulated it. We didn’t.

“We have our procedures and lobbying is part of democracy.”

The INEC report is likely to be debated on Thursday 15, July.