... As opposition Reps stage walkout
The National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed tense scenes as the Senate passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, while opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives staged a dramatic walkout over attempts to reverse the mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
In the upper chamber, the debate turned heated when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South) demanded a division on Clause 60(3), which allows for manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails. Abaribe argued that relying on Form EC8A as a fallback could undermine the integrity of the election process and called for the proviso to be removed.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he believed the demand had already been withdrawn, prompting objections from opposition senators. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin cited Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, warning that it would be out of order to revisit a provision already ruled upon. The chamber briefly erupted into chaos, with heated exchanges and a face-off between Senators Abaribe and Sunday Karimi.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele intervened, noting that his motion to rescind the earlier passage of the bill nullified previous decisions and aligned with Abaribe’s demand. A formal division was called, and during the vote, 55 senators supported retaining the clause allowing manual transmission if electronic transmission fails, while 15 opposition senators opposed it.
Earlier, the Senate had moved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the bill clause by clause. The motion to rescind the previous passage was formally seconded, enabling detailed reconsideration and re-enactment of the legislation. Concerns over the 2027 general election timetable were also raised, with Bamidele noting that strict adherence to the Electoral Act’s 360-day requirement could push elections into the Ramadan period, potentially affecting voter turnout, logistics, and overall inclusiveness.
The Senate also flagged technical inconsistencies in the bill, including errors in the Long Title and clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143, which impacted cross-referencing, numbering, and internal coherence. With the contentious provisions resolved and discrepancies addressed, the bill was passed and will now return to the House of Representatives for harmonisation.
Meanwhile, in the House, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout during plenary, accusing members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to undermine electoral reforms. As they left the chamber, lawmakers could be heard chanting “APC ole” - a Yoruba phrase meaning “APC thieves” .
The disruption followed a motion moved by Francis Waive, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, urging the chamber to reverse its December 23, 2025, decision mandating real-time electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Tension escalated when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote. Though the “nays” seemed louder, the Speaker ruled that the “ayes” had carried the vote, sparking outrage among opposition members. Heated exchanges ensued, and the Speaker eventually moved the chamber into an executive session despite some resistance.
The House and Senate now face the task of reconciling differences in a conference committee, with the electronic transmission clause and several other provisions remaining key points of negotiation. Civil society groups have urged lawmakers to uphold the House’s original position on mandatory real-time transmission, arguing it is vital for transparency and public confidence in the 2027 general elections.
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