Rowdy session erupts in reps over bid to rescind electoral act amendment bill

The House of Representatives was thrown into a heated and disorderly session on Tuesday following an attempt to rescind the already passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The tension began when the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), moved a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the bill pursuant to Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the House Standing Orders.

Presenting the motion, Waive explained that the move was driven by the need to revisit the legislation in order to incorporate emerging electoral reforms. He urged lawmakers to reverse the earlier decision and recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations.

The motion was seconded and subsequently subjected to a voice vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen. However, the majority of lawmakers voted against the proposal.

The outcome triggered loud protests and sharp disagreements on the floor, as members openly challenged the process and the result of the vote. The uproar led to a rowdy session that lasted several minutes.

Amid the tension, the House eventually dissolved into an executive (closed-door) session, despite objections from some members who resisted the move.

It would be recalled that the House had passed the bill in December, approving the electronic transmission of election results from polling units directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

Specifically, Clause 60(3) of the amendment mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from polling units to the IREV in real time, alongside the physical collation of results.