The Senate of Nigeria on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 following a tense clause-by-clause consideration, particularly over Clause 60, which governs the transmission of election results.
The session initially stalled as lawmakers began scrutinising each provision of the bill in the Committee of the Whole.
Tensions flared when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe raised a point of order on Clause 60(3), challenging the provision that allows Form EC8A to serve as the official source in the event of electronic transmission failure.
Opposition senators demanded a formal division to vote on the contentious caveat.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio presided over the voting, directing those in support of the proviso to stand, followed by those opposed. Out of 70 senators present, 55 voted in favour of retaining the clause allowing manual transmission as a fallback, while 15 opposed.
The debate also touched on concerns regarding the scheduling of the 2027 general elections.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that the 360-day notice requirement for elections, as outlined in Clause 28, could force the presidential and National Assembly elections to fall during Ramadan, potentially affecting voter turnout and logistical arrangements.
Discrepancies in several clauses, 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, were also highlighted as affecting cross-referencing and legislative consistency.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin advised that revisiting provisions previously ruled upon would be out of order, but Senate Leader Bamidele clarified that the motion to rescind the earlier amendment had effectively reset the bill for fresh deliberation.
The bill’s passage comes amid a series of legislative disputes with the House of Representatives, which recently adopted a version allowing both electronic and manual transmission of polling unit results.
The Senate’s approval signals a move toward harmonising the bill ahead of the 2027 elections while addressing technical and procedural concerns raised by lawmakers and stakeholders.
The session concluded with the Senate affirming the amendment and setting the stage for final reconciliation with the House version of the Electoral Act.
