Proceedings in the House of Representatives were thrown into disarray on Tuesday following sharp disagreements among lawmakers over a motion to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The tension began during plenary when Francis Waive, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, moved a motion seeking to reverse the chamber’s earlier decision on the bill, which was passed on December 23, 2025.
Then the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, put the motion to a voice vote. Although the “nays” appeared louder than the “ayes,” the Speaker ruled in favor of the nays.
The announcement sparked immediate protests, with several lawmakers shouting in objection to the ruling. In a bid to restore order, Abbas called for an executive session, but the proposal was rejected by members.
Despite the resistance, the Speaker proceeded to move the House into an executive session.
It would be recalled that when the green chamber passed the amendment to the Electoral Act in December, it adopted a provision mandating the real-time transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
