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The Digest:

Proceedings in the House of Representatives turned chaotic on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill. Francis Waive, chairman of the rules and business committee, moved the motion to reverse the December 23, 2025 decision. When Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, the "nays" appeared louder, but he ruled the "ayes" had lost. Protesting lawmakers hollered in objection, rejecting Abbas's call for an executive session before he moved the house into one. The Green Chamber had previously passed a version mandating real-time transmission of election results to IReV, differing from the Senate's version allowing manual fallback. A conference committee is harmonising both chambers' versions amid civil society pressure to adopt the House's real-time mandate.

Key Points:
  • The chaotic session reflects deep divisions within the House on electoral reform direction.
  • It highlights the high stakes of harmonising with the Senate's manual backup clause.
  • Pro-transparency lawmakers resist reversal, while leadership navigates internal dissent.
  • This signals the intensity of the battle over real-time transmission ahead of 2027.
  • The timing, during harmonisation, keeps pressure on the conference committee.

The House remains divided on reversing its real-time transmission mandate, with Speaker Abbas moving proceedings behind closed doors amid vocal opposition.

Sources: TheCable, House of Representatives