“They’ve Doctored the Electoral Act!” — Chaos Erupts in Reps Plenary

Tension escalated in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers engaged in a heated debate over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, transforming what was expected to be a routine plenary session into a contentious shouting match.

The primary focus of the day’s proceedings, overseen by Speaker Dr. Tajudeen Abbas, was the contentious proposal to revisit the Electoral Act. Lawmakers were presented with a motion aimed at rescinding the earlier passage of the bill.

This proposal was introduced by Francis Waive, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, and received support from Adebayo Balogun, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters.

During his address, Waive detailed that leaders of the National Assembly, along with members of the conference committee, clerks from both chambers, and legal drafting experts, had convened to review the bill.

The objective of this meeting was to address anomalies and amend provisions that could potentially impact election timelines, participation, fairness, and public trust in the electoral process. Waive emphasized that the decision to rescind the bill was driven by the necessity to rectify inconsistencies and prevent unintended legal ramifications prior to the legislation’s implementation.

Trouble started when the Speaker put the motion to a voice vote. A louder chorus of “nay” rang across the chamber, but the Speaker proceeded to count the few “ayes” in support of the motion. This immediately angered several lawmakers, especially members of the minority caucus, who insisted they had clearly carried the vote.

The chamber quickly descended into disorder. Lawmakers shouted over one another, while heated exchanges broke out across the floor. Jigawa lawmaker Abubakar Yalleman was seen gesturing angrily toward Osun lawmaker Bamidele Salam, adding to the tense atmosphere.

As the noise escalated, the Speaker ordered the House into a closed-door executive session. Lawmakers were still inside the meeting at the time this report was filed.

Outside the chamber, a member of the House, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused unnamed forces of attempting to alter the bill already passed by lawmakers. The lawmaker warned that the House would resist any such move.

“They have doctored the Electoral Act, but whatever they brought here will not be considered. Members are angry,” the lawmaker said.

The controversy comes amid ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to harmonise differences between the versions of the Electoral Act passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.