The Senate chamber descended into disorder on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over moves to reverse an earlier decision on electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act amendment bill.
The controversy erupted when the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, raised a point of order seeking to rescind the Senate’s previous decision on Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill.
Monguno invoked Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 as amended. His motion was seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Tension gripped the chamber when Monguno moved his motion, reading Clause 60(3) with the word “transfer” changed to “transmission.” The amended reading, however, omitted the phrase “real-time,” which appeared in the original provision.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, immediately raised multiple points of order, triggering shouts and counter-shouts across the chamber.
According to page 45 of the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, the original Clause 60(3) states: “The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to IREV portal in real time and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling agents available at the polling unit.”
The phrase “real-time” was conspicuously absent from Monguno’s motion, raising concerns among some senators about the intent behind the amendment.
As proceedings became increasingly chaotic, Abaribe invoked Order 72 of the Senate Standing Orders, which provides for division, a procedural mechanism that requires senators to physically separate and be counted in order to determine the outcome of a vote.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, acknowledged Abaribe’s point of order, noting that the lawmaker had called for division and a vote on the matter.
However, Abaribe later withdrew his point of order calling for division, effectively ending the procedural standoff without a formal vote.
The session underscored ongoing divisions within the Senate over the electoral amendment bill, particularly provisions relating to electronic transmission of election results, a contentious issue that has generated heated debates in previous legislative sessions.
The amendment to the Electoral Act has been a subject of intense public interest, with civil society groups, political parties, and election observers advocating for stronger provisions to ensure transparency and reduce opportunities for electoral manipulation.
The inclusion or exclusion of terms such as “real-time” and the choice between “transfer” and “transmission” may appear semantic, but stakeholders argue that the precise wording of election laws can have significant implications for the conduct and credibility of elections.
The Senate is expected to continue deliberations on the Electoral Act amendment bill in subsequent sessions.
