Electoral Act: Opposition lawmakers walk out of Reps plenary
The House of Representatives has rescinded its December 2025 passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill to allow for fresh consideration of key provisions. Among the clauses revisited were Clause
The House of Representatives has rescinded its December 2025 passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill to allow for fresh consideration of key provisions.
Among the clauses revisited were Clause 28 on notice of election, Clause 60(3) concerning transmission of results, and Clause 84, which outlines procedures for nomination of candidates by political parties.
The decision followed an executive session convened after opposition lawmakers attempted to block the move to reverse the earlier passage. When plenary resumed for clause-by-clause consideration, some members expressed dissatisfaction with the process.
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Lawmakers, largely from the opposition, gathered in front of the mace, chanting “clause by clause” and urging the Speaker to preside, in protest against the manner in which the bill was being handled. Tension escalated as members raised their voices in objection to reconsidering legislation previously passed in December.
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The Deputy Speaker, who chaired the Committee of the Whole, informed members that deliberations on the bill had concluded at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
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Following the disruption, the Deputy Speaker restarted proceedings, announcing each clause individually before calling for votes, which temporarily restored order.
However, tempers flared again when Clause 60 — a provision that has drawn significant public and political attention in recent days — was called. Lawmakers resumed chanting and again moved toward the mace in protest.
The House subsequently resolved to conduct a division, following a motion moved by Leke Abejide, to determine its position in accordance with its rules.
Clause 60 of the amended version of the House bill reads, “The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or Polling agents where available at the Polling Unit.
“There is however a proviso which states that “provided that if the electronic transmission of the result fails as a result of communication failure and it becomes impossible to transmit the result contained in form EC8A signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and countersigned by the candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit, the form EC8A shall remain the primary source of collation and declaration of the result.”
Details shortly…
