Lawmakers at the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Nigeria was thrown into disorder on Tuesday following disagreements over a motion seeking to reverse the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which provides for real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The heated session reflected deep divisions among lawmakers on how elections should be managed and monitored.
The motion according to Channels TV report was moved by the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, who asked the House to rescind its earlier decision taken on December 23. The proposal was aimed at aligning the House with the position of the Senate of Nigeria on the issue of real-time transmission of results.
When the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, subjected the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” appeared louder than the “ayes.” However, he ruled in favour of the “ayes,” declaring the motion carried.
This decision immediately sparked loud protests from several lawmakers, forcing the Speaker to call for an executive session to restore order.
In December 2025, the House had passed the Electoral Act with a clause making real-time transmission of results to the IReV portal compulsory.
The provision stated that, “presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time, 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 unit agents, where available at the polling unit”.
While the House supported full electronic transmission, the Senate initially rejected the proposal, triggering public backlash and protests.
The lawmakers later reversed their position, approving electronic transmission but allowing manual collation in case of technical failure. Both chambers have now set up a joint committee to harmonise their versions, as opposition parties urge the National Assembly of Nigeria to retain the House version that includes the “real-time” clause.
