The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has described the Tuesday’s walkout by some opposition lawmakers during the consideration of the electoral amendment bill as a recognised parliamentary practice globally and not a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
It would be recalled that members of the Minority caucus in the House of Representatives on Tuesday staged a walk out to express their disagreement over the position taken by the House on Clause 60 (3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill 2026.
Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) had moved an amendment that the House retained the aspect that mandates compulsory electronic transmission of election results to IRev portal from polling units and remove the proviso which leaves room for the use of manual transmission in an event of network or communication failure.
However, the amendment did not sail through when it was put to voice vote, a development that triggered a walkout by lawmakers.
Speaking in an interview 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.
According to him, 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,” he said.
On the decision taken by the House regarding Section 60 (3), Agbese said electronic transmission of Form EC8A election results to the IReV has been approved as mandatory, ensuring that valid votes are fully and accurately reflected.
He, however, said that 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.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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