House Chaos: Reps Pass E-Voting Amid Walkout Drama

By Linda Ike

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act amendment bill to provide for both electronic voting and electronic transmission of election results, following a tense plenary that was marked by protests and a walkout by opposition lawmakers.

The emergency sitting was convened to rescind the House’s earlier decision that provided only for electronic transmission, a development that has kept the bill in the spotlight in recent weeks and prompted emergency sessions by both chambers of the National Assembly.

At the resumption of plenary, the Speaker,Tajudeen Abbas, commended lawmakers for reconvening despite ongoing budget defence engagements.

However, proceedings turned chaotic after the motion for rescission was moved and seconded, with some members protesting loudly on the floor.

The situation forced the Speaker to call for a closed-door session to restore order.

After about two hours in executive session, some aggrieved lawmakers demanded a clause-by-clause consideration of the 156 clauses of the bill, which again triggered heated exchanges during plenary.

Attempts by some members to further amend aspects of the bill were defeated by the majority during voting.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, the aggrieved lawmakers staged a walkout, although legislative consideration of the bill continued.

The House subsequently adjourned plenary until the 24th of the month to allow committees conclude the ongoing 2026 budget defence sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers who walked out during the plenary said their action followed failed attempts to retain only real-time electronic transmission of election results as provided in Clause 60(3) of the bill.

The members openly protested their dissatisfaction on the floor before leaving the chamber.

Addressing newsmen after the walkout, the lawmakers also faulted Clause 84 of the bill, which removed the indirect mode of primary elections and retained only direct primaries and consensus options for political parties to nominate candidates.

Minority Leader of the house, Kingsley Chinda said, “We are against any clause that will give room to any manipulation or rigging, So, we have asked that clause to be made solely for electronic transmission without any proviso.

“Aside that, we have also proposed that where there is a conflict between from ECHA, which is manual and capable of been manipulated and electronically transmitted results, that the electronically results should take precedence.”

The House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi, maintained that the amendments passed by the House were in the overall interest of the country.

“The quest for free, fair and credible elections is not a partisan request. All Nigerians that want the best for democracy want free, fair and credible elections. So, the rulling party want free fair and credible elections as much as the opposition members. So, it is not that the rulling party wants a different thing from the opposition. It is just the Parliament working through its processes to ensure that whatever we do reflects what the majority want.”‘ Rotimi stated.