Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday staged a dramatic walkout from plenary, chanting “APC Ole,” after the adoption of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The controversy erupted when Rep. Bamidele Salam moved a motion seeking the removal of the provision that allows manual transmission of election results. Salam argued that retaining manual transmission could undermine the credibility of the electoral process and slow Nigeria’s progress toward full technological integration in elections.
The motion, which was seconded by Rep. Kingsley Chinda, was however defeated after the “nays” carried the day during a voice vote.
The outcome immediately sparked tension within the chamber, leading to a heated exchange among lawmakers. In a bid to calm frayed nerves, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas called for an executive session to address the growing discord.
However, the closed-door meeting failed to resolve the impasse.
Upon resumption of plenary, the situation further escalated as some aggrieved lawmakers stood up to obstruct proceedings, preventing Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu from continuing with the session.
