The House of Representatives was thrown into chaos on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over a motion seeking to rescind the “real-time” electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
The motion, moved by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, aimed to align the House’s earlier decision with the position of the Senate on electronic transmission of election results.
When Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” appeared louder, but he ruled that the “ayes” had it. The decision sparked loud protests on the floor, forcing the Speaker to call for an executive session.
The House had passed the bill in December 2025, approving compulsory real-time transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s IReV portal. The Senate initially rejected the provision but later approved electronic transmission, adding a manual collation option in cases of technological failure.
Both chambers have set up a joint committee to harmonise their versions of the bill, while opposition parties insist the National Assembly should retain the House’s original “real-time” clause.
