The House of Representatives has approved the harmonised Electoral Act amendment Bill following a tense and rowdy session marked by loud exchanges, repeated voice votes, and a walkout by opposition lawmakers
The House of Representatives on Tuesday descended into a rowdy session and split along party lines as it adopted the Senate’s version of Section 60(3) of the proposed Electoral Act amendment, triggering a walkout by opposition lawmakers.
The development followed the House’s decision to reconvene for an emergency sitting to address concerns arising from the timetable for the 2027 general elections recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lawmakers had earlier adjourned for two weeks to allow standing committees to conduct 2026 budget defence sessions for ministries, departments and agencies. However, a statement issued by House Spokesperson Akin Rotimi, alongside an internal memo from Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, cited the constitutional and national importance of developments surrounding the 2027 election timetable as the reason for the recall.
Parliament Reports earlier reported that proceedings descended into chaos when the chairperson of the Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive (APC, Delta), invoked Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the Standing Orders to move a motion seeking to rescind the House’s passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, approved in December 2025.
Waive explained that the rescission was required to bring the legislation in line with evolving electoral reforms and called on members to recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration.
However, when the motion was subjected to a voice vote rejected by a majority but Speaker Tajudeen ruled otherwise, triggering loud objections on the floor, as lawmakers openly disputed the outcome, plunging the chamber into several minutes of disorder.
In a bid to ease tensions, a separate motion was moved for the House to dissolve into an executive (closed-door) session, but this too was defeated by voice vote.
Despite the opposition, the House was eventually ushered into a closed-door session.
Second rowdy session
After more than an hour in executive session, Rep. Tajudeen stepped aside and the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presided as the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider a Bill to repeal the Electoral Act, 2022, and enact the Electoral Act, 2026.
Tension flared almost immediately when Rep. Kalu took several clauses in bulk, prompting protests from lawmakers who demanded clause-by-clause consideration. Despite objections, the deputy speaker struck the gavel after voice votes on grouped provisions, leading some members to leave their seats and approach the chair chanting, “Clause by clause.”
Order was restored only after Rep. Kalu appealed for calm and assured members that deliberations would restart from Clause 1 with each provision considered individually. Copies of the bill were also circulated following complaints that some lawmakers did not have the document before them.
Dispute over Section 60
Fresh disorder erupted when the Committee reached Clause 60, which addresses electronic transmission of election results. A voice vote produced mixed responses, but Rep. Kalu struck the gavel and moved on, sparking renewed protests as lawmakers converged near the chair chanting, “Section 60.”
Debate resumed after calm was restored. Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) moved an amendment seeking to retain only Clause 60(3), which mandates the electronic transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal after Form EC8A is signed and stamped.
He argued that the proviso allowing Form EC8A to serve as the primary source of collation where electronic transmission fails was “unnecessary and contradictory.” The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), seconded the motion.
Although the amendment initially appeared to enjoy majority support, a second voice vote overturned the outcome, defeating the proposal. Similar amendments by Rep. Etanabene Benedict (LP, Delta), Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo), Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), and others—seeking to prioritise electronically transmitted results in cases of discrepancy—were also rejected.
Despite repeated objections and intermittent disorder, the Committee concluded clause-by-clause consideration and adopted the harmonised version of the bill, aligning with the Senate’s position.
Opposition walkout
Following the passage, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout, chanting “APC Ole” as they moved to the House press centre. Led by Minority Leader Rep. Chinda, they accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pushing partisan interests at the expense of credible elections.
Chinda said the opposition rejected the approved versions of Sections 60 and 84. On Section 60, he insisted that results should be transmitted electronically “without any proviso that reverts to manual collation.”
On Section 84, he argued that political parties—such as the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party—should retain the freedom to determine their preferred candidate selection methods as part of internal party affairs.
The House thereafter adjourned sitting to Tuesday, 24 February.
Senate’s parallel drama
Similar actions echoed in the Senate on Tuesday as experienced rare turbulence as it rescinded and re-passed the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the move was necessary to allow INEC adjust its timetable amid concerns that February 2027 elections could clash with Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the rescission motion to a voice vote, after which the chamber dissolved into the Committee of the Whole.
INEC Committee Chairman Simon Bako Lalong backed the move, dismissing claims that INEC deliberately fixed dates to coincide with religious observances (Ramadan).
The fiercest battle, however, centred on Clause 60(3). Opposition led by Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded a formal division to reject manual transmission as a fallback. After procedural disputes and a physical division, 55 senators voted to retain the proviso, while 15 opposed it—securing its passage.
