Proceedings at the Senate turned rowdy on Tuesday during an emergency session convened to adopt the Votes and Proceedings of the February 4 sitting, at which the Electoral Bill was passed.

The tension followed lingering controversy over the Senate’s earlier decision to exclude a provision mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

Tempers flared after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read out the details of a proposed amendment to Section 60(3), following a motion moved by Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno) under Order 1b 52(6), seeking the Red Chamber’s reconsideration of its previous resolution.

The debate intensified as some senators raised objections to the wording of the revised proposal, arguing that certain phrases could alter the original intent of the amendment.

At the height of the disagreement, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe invoked a point of order, calling for individual voting by senators on the clause in line with Order 70, on the grounds that the chamber was divided.

However, Abaribe later withdrew the point of order, noting that insisting on a division at that stage could jeopardise the passage of the amendment to Clause 60(3).

The session eventually proceeded amid heightened exchanges, underscoring deep divisions within the Senate over the issue of electronic transmission of election results.