… retains manual backup for result transmission
….cuts election notice to 300 days to avoid Ramadan clash in 2027 polls
…Opposition reps stage walk out over approval of manual collation of results as backup
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026.
Before the passage, there was a rowdy session as the upper chamber resumed proceedings with a demand for division over Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South).
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated that he believed the demand had previously been withdrawn, but several opposition senators immediately objected to that claim.
Citing Order 52(6), the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, argued that it would be out of order to revisit any provision on which the Senate President had already ruled.
This submission sparked another uproar in the chamber, during which Senator Sunday Karimi had a brief face-off with Abaribe.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, then reminded lawmakers that he had sponsored the motion for rescission, underscoring that decisions previously taken by the Senate are no longer valid.
He maintained that, consistent with his motion, Senator Abaribe’s demand was in line.
Akpabio further suggested that the call for division was merely an attempt by Senator Abaribe to publicly demonstrate his stance to Nigerians.
The senate president sustained the point of order, after which Abaribe rose in protest and was urged to formally move his motion.
Rising under Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), specifically concerning the provision that if electronic transmission of results fails, Form EC8A should not serve as the sole basis, calling for the removal of the proviso that allows for manual transmission of results in the event of network failure.
During the division, Akpabio directed senators who supported the caveat to stand.
He then asked those opposed to the caveat to rise.
Fifteen opposition senators stood in opposition.
However, when the votes were counted, the Senate President announced that 15 senators were not in support of the proviso, while 55 senators voted in support of it.
Clause-By-Clause Consideration
Earlier, proceedings in the Senate were momentarily stalled as lawmakers began clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following a motion to rescind the earlier amendment.
The motion to rescind the bill was formally seconded on Tuesday, paving the way for the upper chamber to dissolve into the committee of the whole for detailed reconsideration and reenactment of the proposed legislation.
During the session, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, reeled out the clauses one after the other for deliberation.
However, the process stalled when at clause 60, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South), raised a point of order, drawing immediate attention on the floor.
Following the intervention, murmurs spread across the chamber as lawmakers began speaking in small groups and approaching the Senate President’s desk for consultations.
The session immediately moved into a closed door session.
Election Timetable
Before rescinding the Electoral Act, the red chamber raised concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the legislation.
Rising under Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the motion to reverse the earlier passage of the bill and return it to the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations.
He explained that the development follows the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a timetable fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027, after consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly.
He stated that stakeholders had raised concerns that the proposed date conflicts with the provisions of the amended law, particularly the requirement that elections be scheduled not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.
He further noted that upon critical review of the passed bill, the 360-day notice requirement prescribed in Clause 28 could result in the scheduling of the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections during the Ramadan period.
According to him, holding elections during Ramadan could negatively affect voter turnout, logistical coordination, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process.
The motion also highlighted discrepancies discovered in the Long Title and several clauses of the bill, including Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143. The identified issues reportedly affected cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency within the legislation..
Reps in rowdy session over Electoral Actact
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Tuesday descended into a rowdy session after it moved to rescind its earlier decision on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following a controversial voice vote presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
The resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Francis E. Waive pursuant to Order Nine, Rule 1 (6) of the Standing Orders of the House during an emergency plenary.
Leading the debate, Waive recalled that the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
He, however, explained that a Technical Committee comprising the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, members of the Conference Committee, the Clerks of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as legal drafting experts from the Directorate of Legal Services of the National Assembly, later met to harmonise the bill and address identified anomalies.
According to him, the committee discovered inconsistencies and unintended consequences in some of the provisions of the legislation.
He stressed the need to ensure that electoral timelines and statutory provisions promote maximum participation, fairness, inclusivity, administrative efficiency and public confidence in the electoral system.
“It has become imperative to correct the identified inconsistencies and unintended consequences through appropriate legislative action in order to safeguard the integrity of the electoral framework,” Waive argued.
He, therefore, urged the House to rescind its decision on the bill and recommit it to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration.
When Speaker Tajudeen put the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” appeared to be louder than the “ayes” on the floor.
However, the Speaker ruled in favour of the “ayes,” declaring the motion carried.
The ruling sparked immediate protests from several lawmakers, who shouted in objection, accusing the presiding officer of ignoring the apparent majority voice.
The chamber quickly degenerated into a chaotic and tense atmosphere, with members raising their voices and engaging in heated exchanges across the aisles.
Despite the uproar, the Speaker stood by his ruling. In a bid to restore order and further deliberate on the matter, the House subsequently moved into a closed-door session.
