By peterside Rejoice
The Senate on Tuesday revised a key provision of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, removing the requirement for real-time electronic transmission of election results, following a tense and disorderly plenary session marked by sharp disagreements among lawmakers.
The controversy arose when senators reconvened to consider and adopt the votes and proceedings of the previous sitting held last Wednesday, during which Clause 60(3) of the bill had been approved.
The turning point came when the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), raised a point of order seeking a rescission of the chamber’s earlier decision on the clause. Monguno based his motion on Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended), which permit the Senate to revisit its resolutions where procedural issues are identified.
The motion was seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central).
As Monguno moved to read Clause 60(3), the chamber became increasingly tense. In his presentation, the Chief Whip amended the wording of the clause by replacing “transfer” with “transmission” but notably removed the phrase “real-time,” which had been part of the version earlier adopted by the Senate.
This action immediately triggered protests from some lawmakers, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), who repeatedly raised points of order, arguing that the amendment substantially altered the intent of the clause and contradicted the committee’s report already agreed to by the Senate.
According to the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, contained on page 45 of the document laid before the chamber, Clause 60(3) originally provided that:
*“The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the 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 removal of the “real-time” requirement sparked heated exchanges on the floor, with senators shouting “point of order” as arguments for and against the amendment flew across the chamber. While some lawmakers insisted that real-time transmission was critical to the transparency and credibility of elections, others maintained that the provision could pose logistical challenges in areas with poor network coverage.
As the debate intensified, Senator Abaribe invoked Order 72 of the Senate Standing Orders, calling for a division of the Senate to allow members to formally vote on the contentious amendment. The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, acknowledged the point of order and noted that a request for division had been made.
However, after further consultations and exchanges on the floor, Senator Abaribe later withdrew his call for division, allowing proceedings to continue without a recorded vote.
The Senate subsequently adopted the revised clause, thereby removing the explicit requirement for real-time electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IREV) portal.
The development has generated renewed debate over the future of Nigeria’s electoral reforms, with critics warning that the decision could weaken safeguards against manipulation and erode public confidence in the electoral process. Supporters of the revision, on the other hand, argue that it provides flexibility for election officials, particularly in areas facing infrastructural and connectivity challenges.
The Senate is expected to continue consideration of other provisions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill as deliberations progress, amid heightened public interest and scrutiny from civil society organisations and political stakeholders ahead of future elections.
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