The Deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has defended the walkout staged by some opposition lawmakers during deliberations on the Electoral Amendment Bill, describing it as a legitimate expression of dissent and a hallmark of democratic practice.

Members of the minority caucus had left the chamber in protest after the House rejected an amendment to Clauses 60 (3) and 84 of the Electoral Amendment Bill 2026. The proposed amendment, moved by Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker Bamidele Salam, sought to retain a provision mandating compulsory electronic transmission of election results directly from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s IReV portal, while deleting a proviso that permits manual transmission where technology fails.

The amendment was defeated through a voice vote, triggering the opposition lawmakers’ walkout. Agbese, speaking in Abuja, insisted that such actions are neither abnormal nor disruptive, but part of the tools available to legislators in any vibrant parliament.

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, urging the public not to interpret the incident as a breakdown of order.

According to him, disagreement is inherent in democratic governance, and the House remains united in its overarching commitment to Nigeria’s stability and the welfare of citizens, despite sharp differences on specific clauses.

On Section 60 (3), Agbese explained that the House had in fact endorsed mandatory electronic transmission of Form EC8A results to the IReV portal to ensure that valid votes are accurately captured and preserved. However, he noted that lawmakers also inserted safeguards to allow manual transmission in exceptional cases where electronic transfer is not feasible, arguing that this was a pragmatic response to infrastructural and technological realities across the country.

He dismissed suggestions that the decision was aimed at weakening electoral transparency, insisting that the intention was to balance credibility with practicality. The Deputy spokesperson added that the House leadership is engaging with stakeholders to address lingering concerns around electoral reforms in a transparent manner and in line with constitutional provisions.

Agbese urged Nigerians to view the recent walkout and debates as evidence of a living democracy, not a crisis, stressing that a legislature representing diverse political, regional and ideological interests will inevitably witness robust, and sometimes dramatic, contention.