Row over the consideration and passage of the Electoral Act Amendment, yesterday, spread to the lower chambers of the National Assembly as members of the House of Representatives engaged themselves in exchange of blows.
The Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Ashatu Dukku, after presenting the report of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2021, urged the House to consider and pass the bill for the smooth conduct of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.
The House quickly dissolved into a Committee of the Whole presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, for the clause-by-clause consideration of the amendment bill.
Mid-way into the exercise, the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP-Enugu) raised a point of order over clause 52 (2) of the amendment bill, saying that the clause should be amended to read that there shall be electronic transmission of all election results.
The amendment was duly seconded by the Deputy Whip, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
At this juncture, Wase expressed divergent opinion, and said that the amendment may not be in the best interest of the nation as many rural communities do not have up to 20 per cent access to electronic devices for it.
He said, “I make bold to say that only less than 20 per cent of my constituency has network coverage”.
When the motion was put to vote, the “ayes” were clearly louder but the deputy speaker ruled in favour of “nays”.
The action drew the anger of the lawmakers and commotion ensued.
When calm returned to the chambers, the deputy speaker complained that some of his colleagues insulted him.
“We have legal rights to canvass issues and lobby each other. I take exception to those who came in here to insult me”, he stated.
However, Wase’s explanation could not abate the situation as members continued their opposition to his ruling against the adoption of electronic transmission of results.
In the midst of the heated arguments, Hon. James Faleke moved an amendment that, “results should be transmitted both electronically and manually” but was shouted down.
Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, intervened, and advised the deputy speaker to accommodate as many amendments as he can but this fell on deaf ears.
But leader of the House, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, countered the speaker, reasoning that once an issue has been ruled on by the presiding officer, it cannot be resurrected.
Surprisingly, Wase, who presided over the session, said that the ‘nays’ had it, thereby throwing the House into a rowdy session.
Immediately he hit the gavel in his infamous ruling, many of the lawmakers moved up from their seats to that of the presiding officer to register their anger.
Some of the lawmakers, particularly of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) were heard shouting no! no! no! at the chambers.
It took the intervention of the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was seated at the first row at the chamber, to calm the lawmakers’ frayed nerves.
Gbajabiamila had told the House that it was imperative to get it right in this issue of amendment to the nation’s electoral laws.
He advised that the House to rule on the position canvassed by a member, Hon. James Faleke, to the effect that those who want manual transmission of results vote separately from those who want electronic transmission of results.
But the speaker’s counsel was not acceptable to the House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, who immediately stood up, and countered the speaker’s position.
He said that the ruling of any presiding officer of the House on any issue was sacrosanct, adding that on this issue, the deputy speaker had ruled.
The deputy speaker, who later addressed the House amidst the crisis generated by the ruling, said that he was surprised that the lawmakers would behave the way they did on the matter.
He said, “I take exception to the conduct of some members who came here and abused me. It happened.
“If we have to transmit election results electronically, what happens to the farmers in rural areas in Plateau and Kebbi states?”.
But the lawmakers did not agree with the presiding officer as many of them left their seats to consult their other colleagues on the matter, and the rowdy session lingered.
So many other lawmakers later moved over to the presiding officer’s seat, and staged a protest to register their grievances on the ruling.
In the midst of it all, Hon. Yusuf, Mark Gbillah, Chudy Momah and a host of others made physical advances at each other.
Gbajabiamila, who participated in the voting from the floor, took over the proceedings, and announced the adjournment of the House till 10am today for continuation of the voting on the amendment bill.