Rowdy Session In Reps Over Attempts To Rescind Passed Electoral Bill

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

Trouble started 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 in line with Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the House Standing Orders.

Moving the motion, Waive said the motion was informed by the need to revisit the legislation to reflect emerging electoral reforms. He urged lawmakers to rescind the earlier decision and recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration.

The motion was seconded and subsequently put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen but majority of the lawmakers voted against it.

The outcome sparked protests on the floor, with members openly disagreeing, resulting in a rowdy session that lasted several minutes.

To that end, the House dissolved into executive (closed-door) session despite rejections by some members.

The House had the bill in December,
approving electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill, mandated INEC to electronically transmit results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, together with physical collation of results.

End.