Opposition members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday condemned moves to amend Clause 60 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, sparking heated scenes on the floor of the chamber.

The clause, which had earlier been passed by the House, provides for the real-time transmission of election results from polling units to a central viewing centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tensions rose earlier in the week after mounting pressure led the House Committee on Electoral Matters to propose rescinding the provision.

Opposition lawmakers resisted the move, insisting that the original version allowing real-time electronic transmission should be retained.
However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu aligned with lawmakers from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who argued that the House should adopt the Senate’s version of the bill.
The disagreement triggered loud protests, with opposition lawmakers chanting “APC – ole!” in open defiance during the plenary.

The controversy comes as the National Assembly has constituted conference committees from both chambers to harmonise differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
While the House version endorses real-time electronic transmission of results, the Senate approved the amendment with a proviso that manual transmission would be acceptable where electronic transmission fails.