LEGISLATIVE activities of the House of Representatives ended abruptly as some members who were opposed to the adoption of electronic transmission of election results physically assaulted their counterparts who expressed overwhelming support for the reforms in the country’s electoral process.
Trouble started when the Deputy Speaker, Honourable Ahmed Wase, who presided over the Committee of the Whole for the consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) bill, 2021, ruled that the House invalidated the use of electronic transmission of election results, as proposed in Clause 52(2).
The contentious clause provides that: “Voting at an election and transmission of result under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission.” In his intervention, the Deputy Minority Leader, Honourable Toby Okechukwu, while calling for an amendment of the clause, canvassed that voting at elections and transmission of results shall be done electronically.
He said: “My amendment is to the effect that transmis- sion of results under this bill shall be by electronic transmission.”
But in a swift reaction to the proposed amendment, Honourable Wase argued that electronic transmission of election results might not be efficient as his constituency has only 20 per cent internet coverage.
Piqued by his submission, majority of the lawmakers who frowned on his assertion vehemently opposed his argument.
While the protest was ongoing, the Deputy Speaker called for a voice vote on the matter. When he put the question to vote, majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of electronic transmission of results who shouted ‘Yea’, but Honourable Wase ruled in favour of the ‘Nays’, a development which threw the entire Chamber into tumult. “Please I want to beg, it is part of my responsibility here so that we can arrive at a very good reasonable position. And I want to believe that today in Nigeria, I don’t know the coverage of the broadband have we been able to cover all parts of the federation, that we want to put it I don’t know.” In response to his argument, majority of the lawmakers shouted ‘Yes’.
As he repeatedly hit the gavel, urging his colleagues to calm down, chairman, House Committee on Finance, Honourable James Faleke, suggested that voting should be done electronically and manually.
Also expressing his view, the PDP Caucus Leader, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, opined that since Wase had already ruled on Honourable Okechukwu’s amendment, the presiding officer should divide the House with a view to determining the actual number of those in favour of the amendment and those against.
The Speaker, in his intervention, suggested that the lawmakers should vote individually to properly resolve the matter. “The amendment by Toby is electronic transmission; the amendment by Faleke is electronic and manual transmission. This is a moment in history and whatever we decide should be in the best interest of Nigerians, whether it’s manual or electronic.
“Those who want manual cannot impose that on those who want electronic, those who want electronic cannot impose that on those who want manual. What we need to do is vote.”
Also aligning with the Speaker’s position, chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Honourable Onofiok Luke, said the lawmakers should vote, bearing in mind the interest of Nigerians who gave them the mandate to represent them.
But the Speaker’s suggestion was bemoaned by the House Leader, Honourable Ado Doguwa, who cited the House Standing Order that when a matter has been ruled on it cannot be revisited.
Uncomfortable with the Majority Leader’s submission, the Minority Leader, Honourable Ndudi Elumelu, maintained the Speaker’s suggestion was in order.
Contrary to Elumelu’s observation, Wase called for voice vote on Honourable Falake’s motion and ruled in favour of the ‘Nays’ despite the overwhelming ‘Ayes’ by the majority vote.
To this end, the Speaker ruled that the House should reconvene today by 10.00 a.m. to continue the consideration of the Electoral bill. He also announced that the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Dambatta, will brief the House on the contentious possibility of electronic transmission of election results.
Some members who were opposed to the physical assault inflicted on Honourable Mark Gbillah accompanied him out of the chambers, threatening to challenge the chairman, House Committee on Navy, Honourable Yusuf Gadji, just as others who protested against the unethical handling of the legislative proceedings blocked the Speaker and other principal officers from going out of the Chambers.
Barring last minute changes, the lawmakers are expected to reconvene today to continue the consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) bill.
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