The House of Representatives has revoked its December 2025 passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill, citing the need for fresh consideration of several key provisions, including Clause 28 on notice of elections, Clause 60(3) on transmission of results, and Clause 84, which governs nomination procedures for political parties.
The reversal came after an executive session convened in the wake of opposition lawmakers’ attempts to block the move. When plenary resumed for a clause-by-clause review, tensions quickly escalated.
Lawmakers, largely from the opposition, gathered in front of the mace, chanting “clause by clause” and demanding that the Speaker preside over proceedings. The protest highlighted dissatisfaction with the process, as members opposed reconsidering legislation previously passed in December.
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The Deputy Speaker, who chaired the Committee of the Whole, informed the House that deliberations had stretched into the early hours, concluding around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Following the disruption, he restarted proceedings, reading each clause individually before calling for votes, a move that briefly restored order.
However, the reprieve was short-lived. Tempers flared again when Clause 60, a provision that has drawn significant public and political attention, was called. Lawmakers resumed chanting and moved toward the mace in renewed protest.
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The House eventually resolved to conduct a division, following a motion by Leke Abejide, to formally determine its position in line with House rules.
Clause 60 of the amended bill states: “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.’”
