Nigerian Senate Approves Electoral Act Amendment After Heated Debate

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, concluding a tense and rowdy legislative process marked by disagreements over Clause 60, which addresses the electronic transmission of election results.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, sought to remove provisions permitting manual transmission where electronic systems fail, arguing for stronger safeguards to ensure transparency.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said he believed the demand had earlier been withdrawn, but opposition lawmakers immediately objected. Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, argued that revisiting a matter already ruled upon would be out of order, further escalating tensions.

Despite opposition resistance, the chamber voted 55 to 15 to retain provisions allowing manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails.

Earlier, the Senate had temporarily suspended proceedings to reconsider the bill following concerns raised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), over the timing of the 2027 general elections and inconsistencies within the legislation.

Lawmakers warned that the proposed election timetable could conflict with legal requirements mandating elections to be held at least 360 days before the expiration of tenure. Concerns were also raised about scheduling elections during Ramadan, which could affect turnout and logistics.

The motion to rescind earlier passage enabled clause-by-clause reconsideration of the bill, addressing discrepancies in cross-referencing, serial numbering and internal consistency before its final passage.