The Nigeria House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Amendment Bill amidst stiff agitation from minority lawmakers.
Upon his appearance on Friday, the NCC represented by its Executive Commissioner on Technical Services, Ubale Maska disclosed that only 50 per cent of Polling Units across the country have 3G networks that can enable electronic transmission.
He said that NCC did an analysis of network coverage in 2018 in respect of all polling units in the country and found out that only about half of the 119, 000 polling units that existed at that time were covered with 2G /3G services.
Resuming the clause by clause consideration of the report the Deputy Minority Leader Toby Okechukwu raised a point of order, drawing the attention of the House to the fact that there is a subsisting motion for amendment to section 52 of the Bill.
Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who presided over the Committee of the Whole said there was no motion to that effect and this sparked reactions from lawmakers throwing the House in disarray again.
It was however agreed that the consideration of the 153 clauses bill should continue with an understanding to revisit clause 52.
The Deputy Speaker who presided over the clause by clause consideration however did not honour this agreement after passing all other clauses, insisting that clause 52 was agreed upon on Thursday.
He added that it will only be taken if a motion was moved to rescind the earlier decision of the House.
The Minority Leader, Nduidi Elemelu at this point staged a walkout of plenary with members of the Minority caucus in protest.
The House, however, passed the Electoral Amendment Bill despite stiff opposition from lawmakers who were of the view that the majority of Nigerians believe that electronic transmission of results will entrench transparency in the electoral space.
The House also took a step further and adopted the Conference Report of the Harmonization Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which was stepped down within the week, adopting 3% as funds for host community against the 5% canvassed by some lawmakers.
The House thereafter adjourned plenary to the second week of September for its annual recess.
