The tension began when the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), presented a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the bill in line with Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the House Standing Orders

The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Tuesday following a failed attempt to rescind its earlier decision on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The tension began when the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), presented a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the bill in line with Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the House Standing Orders.

The House had passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on 23 December 2025.

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Leading the debate, Mr Waive said the motion was informed by the need to revisit the legislation to reflect emerging electoral reforms. He urged lawmakers to rescind the earlier decision and recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration.

The motion was seconded and subsequently put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen. However, the majority of lawmakers voted against it.

The outcome sparked protests on the floor, with members openly disagreeing, resulting in a rowdy session that lasted several minutes.

In an apparent effort to calm tensions, a separate motion was moved for the House to proceed into an executive (closed-door) session. When subjected to a voice vote, lawmakers again rejected the proposal.

Despite the resistance, the House was eventually called into a closed-door session.

As of the time of filing this report, deliberations are ongoing behind closed doors.

Details later...