Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has said Tuesday’s walkout by some opposition lawmakers during the consideration of the electoral act (amendment) bill is a recognised parliamentary practice globally and not a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
Members of the minority caucus in the House had staged a walk out to express their misgiving over the position taken by the House on Clause 60 (3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.
Addressing journalists, the minority leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, rejected the new clause 60(3) and others which the minority caucus described as anti-people.
Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill earlier passed by the House made it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, alongside physical collation of results.
However, the new one states that: “(3) The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or Polling agents where available at the Polling Unit.
“Provided that if the electronic transmission of the result fails as a result of communication failure and it becomes impossible to transmit the result contained in form EC8A, signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and countersigned by the candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit, the form EC8A shall remain the primary source of collation and declaration of the result.”
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Agbese said walkouts are common in legislatures around the world and are often employed to register dissent on issues of national importance.
He said the action taken by some members, mostly of the opposition parties during the plenary should not be misconstrued as disorder or legislative breakdown, but rather as an expression of disagreement which he said are within the rules and traditions of parliamentary democracy.
“Walkouts are part of standard parliamentary practice globally. They are used by lawmakers to express firm opposition to decisions they do not align with,” he said.
The Deputy Spokesperson stressed that the House remains united in its commitment to Nigeria’s democracy and the interests of citizens, despite differences of opinion among members.
He explained that robust debates, disagreements and even protests within the chamber are signs of a vibrant legislature and should not be interpreted as an inability of the House to function.
“What is important is that issues are ventilated openly and resolved through legislative procedures. Nigerians should be assured that the House will not fail them,” Agbese said.
He insisted that electronic transmission of Form EC8A election results to the IReV had been approved as mandatory, ensuring that valid votes are fully and accurately reflected.
The Benue lawmaker however, said the House in its wisdom provided safeguards to address any unforeseen instances where transmission may be impossible, approving the use of manual method.
Agbese said the decision was made in the best interest of the country and not to jeopardise the integrity of the electoral process as being misconstrued in some quarters.
He added that the leadership of the House is engaging all stakeholders to ensure that contentious issues, particularly those relating to electoral reforms, are handled transparently and in line with constitutional provisions.
The lawmaker reiterated that the House of Representatives remains focused on its core responsibilities of lawmaking, representation and oversight, assuring Nigerians that all actions taken are geared toward strengthening democratic institutions and protecting the will of the people.
He urged the public to view recent developments within the chamber as part of democratic engagement rather than a crisis, noting that disagreements are inevitable in a legislature representing diverse political, regional and ideological interests.
End.
