The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Amendment Bill 2026, following intense debates, procedural disputes, and a rowdy session on the floor of the upper legislative chamber.
Proceedings were briefly disrupted as lawmakers embarked on clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, with disagreement erupting over Clause 60. The controversy was triggered when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe raised a demand for division, challenging a provision that allows manual transmission of election results where electronic transmission fails.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially ruled that the demand had earlier been withdrawn, but several opposition senators objected. The disagreement sparked heated exchanges, prompting further intervention by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who cited standing orders to argue against reopening matters already ruled upon.
The disagreement escalated into a brief face-off between lawmakers before the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, clarified that a prior motion for rescission nullified earlier decisions, making Abaribe’s demand valid. Following this, Akpabio allowed the request for division to proceed.
During the voting process, senators were asked to physically indicate their positions. While 15 lawmakers opposed the proviso allowing manual transmission, 55 senators voted in favour, leading to the retention of the clause.
Earlier in the session, lawmakers resolved to reconsider several sections of the bill following concerns raised about election timelines, technical inconsistencies, and legal contradictions. This prompted a motion to rescind the earlier passage of the legislation and subject it to fresh scrutiny by the Committee of the Whole.
The Senate Leader explained that the reconsideration followed the release of the 2027 general election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which fixed the polls for February 2027. He noted that the date conflicted with provisions in the amended law, particularly the requirement that elections be held not later than 360 days before the expiration of current tenures.
According to him, strict adherence to the provision could result in the scheduling of elections during the Ramadan period, which may negatively affect voter turnout, logistics, and overall electoral credibility. Lawmakers also identified inconsistencies across multiple clauses of the bill, including numbering errors, cross-referencing issues, and internal contradictions.
After thorough deliberations and amendments, the Senate proceeded to pass the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, paving the way for further legislative processing.
Be the first to comment