The Pathfinder
Tuesday February 17, 2026
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The House of Representatives on Tuesday took dramatic legislative steps to revisit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, a move that ended in a heated confrontation on the floor of the Green Chamber.
Despite being immersed in budget defense sessions, lawmakers suspended all other business to address what Speaker Tajudeen Abbas described as a “crucial national assignment” that will define the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
The session centered on a motion for the rescission and recommittal of the bill, which had already been passed in December 2025. Moving the motion, Hon. Francis Waive explained that a high-level technical committee, comprising leadership from both chambers, legal drafters, and clerks, had identified “inconsistencies and unintended consequences” in the current version of the bill.
Waive argued that these anomalies must be corrected to ensure administrative efficiency and bolster public confidence in the electoral system.
However, the proceedings took a controversial turn during the voting process. When Speaker Abbas put the question to the floor to rescind the bill, the “Nays” (those opposing the motion) were audibly louder than the “Ayes.” Disregarding the vocal majority, the Speaker struck the gavel and ruled in favor of the “Ayes.”
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This decision immediately triggered an uproar, with lawmakers protesting the ruling and insisting that the motion had been defeated. In an attempt to quell the rising tension and restore order, the Speaker called for an emergency closed-door session to resolve the impasse.
The push to recommit the bill signals a high-stakes effort by the National Assembly leadership to fine-tune the legal framework for the 2027 polls.
While proponents argue that the amendments are necessary for a credible process, the friction on the floor suggests deep-seated divisions among lawmakers regarding the specifics of the proposed changes.
Protesters
Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the main entrance of the National Assembly on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, as personnel of the Nigeria Police Force fired tear gas canisters to disperse hundreds of demonstrators.
The confrontation began when a segment of the “Occupy National Assembly” protesters attempted to force their way into the legislative complex. The group had gathered to voice their opposition to the Senate’s recent decision to maintain manual collation as a fallback to electronic result transmission in the 2026 Electoral Act amendment.
As the police deployed tear gas, the scene turned into a stampede. Hundreds of protesters, many of them women, were seen falling over one another while attempting to escape the stinging fumes. During the ensuing panic, a middle-aged woman reportedly collapsed after inhaling the gas and required immediate assistance from fellow demonstrators.
The incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing standoff over electoral transparency, as civil society groups demand that the National Assembly mandate “real-time” electronic transmission for the 2027 general elections without manual alternatives.
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