Proceedings in the senate became rowdy on Tuesday following sharp disagreements among lawmakers over a motion seeking to reverse an earlier decision on the electronic transmission of election results contained in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The tension arose during consideration of a motion sponsored by Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno north, which proposed that the upper chamber rescind its approval of clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026.
The clause relates to the framework for transmitting election results electronically.
Monguno said the motion became necessary after “fresh issues” emerged from a closer scrutiny of the bill following its passage earlier in February.
The bill passed now provides that election results shall be transmitted electronically to the INEC iReV after the result form has been duly completed and signed by the INEC officer in charge and party agents where available.
Where electronic transmission is hindered by network failure or other genuine obstacles, the manually completed and signed INEC result form at the polling unit becomes the official result of that unit.
As the Senators were busy in the chamber, protesters for the second day running , were outside the parliament demanding for electronic transmission of votes.
According to them, the reform will help guarantee that every vote counts and that the true choice of the people is accurately reflected in the final results.
As the demonstration progressed, participants reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful civic engagement and vowed to continue advocating for reforms that promote free, fair, and credible elections across the country.
They expressed hope that lawmakers would listen to the voices of concerned Nigerians and act in the best interest of the nation’s democracy.
However, the debate in the Senate quickly became contentious when Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, raised a point of order, insisting that the senate could not revisit the clause in the manner proposed and that, at the very least, senators should be allowed to vote individually on the matter.
Abaribe’s intervention triggered loud exchanges across the chamber, with several senators speaking simultaneously and challenging the procedure being adopted.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio repeatedly called for calm, urging lawmakers to respect parliamentary procedure and allow the chair to manage the debate.
When relative calm was restored, Akpabio asked Abaribe whether he intended to formally proceed with the point of order he had raised.
The Abia lawmaker however declined, paving the way for plenary to resume.
