The Senate was thrown into a heated and disorderly atmosphere on Tuesday as lawmakers reconvened to revisit and vote on the decisions and proceedings of the previous Wednesday.

The tension began when the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), raised a point of order seeking the reversal of an earlier Senate decision on Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. Monguno anchored his motion on Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the 2023 amended Senate Standing Orders.

His motion was supported by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central).

The chamber soon became charged, with loud interjections and repeated shouts of “point of order” from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) as Monguno proceeded to read Clause 60(3) and proposed an amendment that replaced the word “transfer” with “transmission.”

In presenting the motion, Monguno read the clause without the inclusion of the phrase “real-time,” a move that further heightened tensions in the chamber.

According to page 45 of the report submitted by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Clause 60(3) originally provides that presiding officers must electronically transmit polling unit results to the IREV portal in real time, following the signing and stamping of Form EC8A by the presiding officer and countersigning by candidates or polling agents present at the polling unit.

As debates dragged on, Senator Abaribe invoked Order 72, which relates to the procedure for division and voting.

Responding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that Abaribe had raised a point of order requesting a formal division and vote on the matter.

However, Abaribe later withdrew his point of order calling for a division, effectively easing the standoff and allowing proceedings to continue.