The House of Representatives on Tuesday witnessed a rowdy session as lawmakers moved to rescind and revisit key provisions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, citing the need to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections .
Despite being in the middle of budget defence sessions, legislators suspended other engagements to deliberate on what they described as “issues that will define the elections of 2027” .
Presiding over the session, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas commended members who travelled from outside Abuja to attend what he called a crucial national assignment, stressing that the meeting had a single agenda: the rescission and recommittal of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025 .
“The issues before us will define the elections of 2027 and give a clear vision as to what is expected to be done,” he said, underscoring the urgency of revisiting certain clauses earlier passed by the House .
The motion, moved by Hon. Francis Waive representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency of Delta State, sought rescission of the bill pursuant to Order Nine, Rule 6 of the House Standing Orders .
Waive reminded the House that while the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025 was passed in December, a technical committee comprising leadership of both chambers, conference committee members, and legal drafters subsequently met to harmonize the bill and identified inconsistencies and unintended consequences requiring further legislative action .
He argued that correcting the identified anomalies would strengthen the credibility of the country’s electoral framework ahead of 2027, stressing that electoral laws must promote “maximum participation, fairness, inclusivity, administrative efficiency and public confidence in the electoral system” .
Following the motion, House Committee on Electoral Act Chairman Adebayo Balogun moved a second motion to formally recommit the bill for fresh consideration .
When Speaker Abbas put the question to rescind the Electoral Act, the “nays” had it but the Speaker hit the gavel, giving it to the “yeahs.” This led to lawmakers protesting on the floor, insisting the “nays” had it, prompting the Speaker to call for a closed-door session .
The development signals a renewed push by lawmakers to fine-tune the electoral framework amid heightened political interest in the 2027 general elections .
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