The House of Representatives on Tuesday erupted into a rowdy session following a motion seeking to clarify the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) powers to attend and observe political parties’ conventions, congresses, conferences, or meetings.
The motion was raised by Hon. Peter Ifeanyi Uzokwe (YPP), representing Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency in Anambra State, during a personal explanation.
Uzokwe argued that Section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022, which states that “INEC may, with or without prior notice, attend and observe any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened by a political party,” is widely misinterpreted to mean that INEC’s presence is compulsory.
“I want to clarify that our law does not mandate INEC to attend these party events,” Uzokwe told the House. “The impression outside is that INEC must be present, but that is not supported by our law.”
The motion quickly escalated as Speaker Abbas Tajudeen urged Uzokwe to defer the discussion until planned amendments to the Electoral Act are debated, arguing that all electoral issues will soon be examined clause by clause.
Despite the Speaker’s intervention, Uzokwe insisted on speaking, stressing that the misinterpretation of the law could damage public perception of the electoral process. The exchange drew interjections from several lawmakers, including Hon. Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi (Lagos State), who insisted that the matter is constitutional and should be allowed to proceed.
Speaker Abbas later called for calm, advising members to wait for a dedicated session to address all pending electoral law amendments. “Any issue on the Electoral Act will be considered comprehensively in the upcoming session,” he said.
The heated exchange, punctuated by points of order and interjections from multiple lawmakers, turned the otherwise routine plenary into a chaotic scene, highlighting growing tensions over the interpretation and oversight of Nigeria’s electoral regulations.
