The House of Representatives descended into a heated session on Tuesday after nearly two hours behind closed doors as lawmakers resumed debate on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, insisting on clause-by-clause consideration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The House had earlier resolved to rescind its December 2025 passage of the bill to address inconsistencies highlighted by a harmonisation committee composed of leaders from both chambers, conference committee members, clerks, and legal drafters from the National Assembly.
Hon. Francis E. Waiwe (Delta), who moved the motion for rescission under Order Nine, Rule 6 of the Standing Orders, said the objective was to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral framework by promoting fairness, inclusivity, administrative efficiency, and public confidence.
When the Deputy Speaker initially attempted to take the report in bulk rather than clause by clause, lawmakers protested loudly, insisting that each clause be debated and voted on individually due to the far-reaching implications for the 2027 elections. Proceedings were halted and restarted, with agreement to examine the bill clause by clause.
During deliberations, Clause 60(3) was adopted to provide for both real-time electronic transmission and manual transmission of election results. Rep. Bamidele Salam moved to remove the manual transmission provision, arguing it could undermine credibility and technological advancement, a motion seconded by Rep. Kingsley Chinda. However, the attempt was defeated in a voice vote, keeping manual transmission in the clause.
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