The House of Representatives passed the harmonised Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, following a chaotic and rowdy emergency session marked by shouting matches, disputed voice votes, and a dramatic walkout by opposition lawmakers.
The lower chamber aligned with the Senate's position on the contentious Clause 60(3), which governs the transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The provision mandates that presiding officers shall electronically transmit results immediately after signing and stamping Form EC8A (the manual polling unit result sheet), with countersignatures from party agents where available. However, it includes a proviso allowing the duly completed and signed Form EC8A to serve as the primary document for collation and declaration if electronic transmission fails due to communication or network challenges.
This hybrid approach—electronic as primary, manual as fallback—reversed the House's earlier December 2025 decision favouring compulsory real-time electronic transmission without exceptions. The change came after a joint technical committee highlighted discrepancies, prompting harmonisation with the Senate's version.
Trouble erupted when Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), moved a motion to rescind the prior passage pursuant to Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the Standing Orders. Seconded by Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, the motion aimed to reconcile the versions.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the question to a voice vote. Reports indicate the "nays" sounded louder, but Abbas ruled the "ayes" had it, triggering immediate uproar and protests from lawmakers. Objections intensified, leading Abbas to propose an executive session, which was rejected. The session descended into further disorder with repeated votes and hollering.
Frustrated opposition members, including minority caucus figures, staged a walkout chanting “APC, Ole” (thieves), protesting what they saw as a dilution of transparency safeguards. Despite the chaos, the House proceeded to clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole. Amendments were debated, including proposals to retain only mandatory electronic transmission without the proviso, but the hybrid clause prevailed.
The bill was passed on third reading after the stormy proceedings. It also incorporates Senate adjustments reducing the election notice period from 360 to 300 days, granting INEC flexibility to avoid scheduling the 2027 general elections during Ramadan and Lent.