Chaos Erupts In House After Speaker’s Ruling On Electoral Bill
By IFEOMA IZUCHUKWU
PROCEEDINGS in the House of Representatives turned rowdy on Tuesday after lawmakers sharply disagreed over a motion seeking to revisit the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The tension began when the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, ruled in favour of a motion to rescind an earlier decision on the bill to allow for further legislative reconsideration.
The motion was moved by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, pursuant to Order 9, Rule 1 (6) of the House Standing Orders. Waive reminded members that the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 had been passed on 23 December 2025, but noted that fresh concerns had emerged.
According to him, the House recognised the need to address identified inconsistencies and unintended consequences in the bill to strengthen electoral timelines, enhance inclusivity, and safeguard public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral framework.
However, when the Speaker put the motion to a voice vote and declared that the “ayes” had it, some lawmakers openly challenged the ruling. Dissatisfied members raised their voices in protest, creating a tense atmosphere on the floor of the chamber.
In a bid to prevent the situation from escalating further, the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved a motion for the House to proceed into a closed-door session. The Speaker granted the request, and members subsequently went into executive session.
Before the disruption, Waive had disclosed that a Technical Committee had been constituted to harmonise the positions of both chambers of the National Assembly and address anomalies in the bill. The committee comprises leadership from both chambers, members of the Conference Committee, clerks, and legal drafting experts.
As of 12:47 p.m., the House remained behind closed doors, with no official communication yet on the outcome of deliberations.
