Rowdy session in lower chamber as minority caucus rejects controversial manual transmission of results
.Senate approves manual proviso after division
.Rejects real time electronic transmission of election results
.Reduces period for release of 2027 polls’ time table from 360 to 300 days due to Ramadan
.INEC may review elections time table
By IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja with agency report
The Senate, at its emergency plenary on Tuesday, reworked for the second time in one week, the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026 , rescinding the action it earlier reached last week when it passed the bill.
Also, the Senate passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following tense deliberations and a contentious debate over Clause 60
The Red Chamber achieved this by readjusting the 360-day notice requirement prescribed in Clause 28 to ensure that the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections do not fall within the period of Ramadan.
The Red Chamber also for the second time in a week, and after a call for division rejected ‘real time electronic transmission of election results, accepting the manual mode where network fails.
Coming under Order 1(b) and 52(6), Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion to rescind and re-commit the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026 to the Committee of the Whole -asking the Senate to completely jettison every thing it had previously done on the Electoral Amenment Bill 2026.
In doing so, Bamidele explained that the review had become necessary after the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met with both chambers of the National Assembly on ways to resolve conflict in the timing of the election and the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
The INEC had last Friday announced that the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on February 20, with governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls scheduled for March 6, 2027.
The timetable comes amid ongoing debate on the Electoral Act Amendment bill to allow for electronic transmission of election results in real time.
It also comes amid reactions from the Muslim community kicking strongly against INEC’s proposed election dates.
On Tuesday, the Senate was again forced into another emergency session on the knotty Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 with Bamidele’s motion to rework the document.
The motion was quickly seconded by the Chairman of Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong who explained that INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan did not deliberately fix the election dates to conflict with the Ramadan as being speculated in many quarters.
The Plateau state senator further explained that it was the immediate past INEC Chairman, Mamood Yakubu, that actually set the template for the election dates from 2019 to 2031.
In trying to avert the likely conflict in the election dates and the Ramadan, Senate said it had taken notice that the coincidence with the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan “could adversely affect voters turnout, INEC’s preparation and the overall credibility of the electoral process”.
Senate further disclosed that it had uncovered
discrepancies in the Long Title and 22 separate clauses – including the controversial clause 60 that deals with transmission of election results electronically from each polling unit to INEC IReV portal in real time.
Senate had last week passed electronic transmission of election results from polling units but rejected the phrase “real time” when it included a proviso that where network fails, then the duly signed Form EC8A by the Presiding Officer and counter-signed by party agents (where available) shall be the primary source of election results).
When it was time for the clause by clause consideration of the bill, Senate breezely passed clauses 1 to 59 -including clause 28 on the 360 days notice of election requirements with relative ease, slashing the period down by 60 days from 360 to 300 days.
Trouble, however, started when lawmakers reached the contentious clause 60 with Senator Enyinnnaya Abaribe raising a Point of Order.
A long pause ensued and unable to resolve-senate went into a closed doors session that lasted almost an hour.
When the doors eventually reopened, the arguments continued even more forcefully with Senator Abaribe calling for Division on the proviso in clause 60(3) that permits manual transmission of election results where network fails.
Abaribe eventually had the chance to call for the Division after intervention from the Senate leader that it was within his privilege to do so.
To the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, the beauty of democracy is in full action as he quickly moderated the votes -asking Senators to signify where they belong by standing up and raising up their hands in support of the proviso or against it.
At the end of voting , 55 senators, including the Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olalere
voted to retain the proviso to allow manual transmission where the network fails.
It was a crushing defeat for Abaribe and 14 others mainly from the opposition, who insisted on mandatory electronic transmission of election results in “real time”.
Akpabio believed those who voted for the proviso for manual transmission had just saved Nigeria’s democracy even as he hailed Abaribe and others with him for standing their grounds.
With this development, Senate has for the second time in one week, effectively rejected “real time” transmission of election results, retaining its earlier position that where network fails, then the signed Form EC8A (manual transmission) becomes the primary source of election results.
Having achieved its objective for meeting on Tuesday, the Red Chamber adjourned plenary till Tuesday, February 24, 2027
.House of Reps pass bill despite walk out by opposition members
Meanwhile, some members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday flared up at the emergency plenary after the Speaker Abbas Tajudeen ruled on a motion to rescind the decision on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 for further reconsideration.
The motion which was moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive (APC-Delta) was pursuant to Order 9, Rule 1 (6) of the Standing Orders of the House.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the problem started when the speaker put the motion to a voice vote and ruled in favour of the ayes.
Some members who were dissatisfied, revolted in loud voices, and to prevent the rowdy session from further degenerating, Tajudeen directed that the Majority Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo) moved a motion for the house to proceed into a closed-doors session.
Earlier before the rowdy session, Rep. Francis Waive (APC-Delta) recalled that on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed by the House.
Waive said that the House recognises the need to ensure electoral timelines and statutory provisions to promote maximum participation, fairness, inclusivity, administrative efficiency, and public confidence in the electoral system.
He said that the House is desirous of correcting identified inconsistencies and unintended consequences through appropriate legislative action in order to safeguard the integrity of the electoral framework.
The lawmaker said that the assembly did set up a Technical Committee to harmonise the positions of the House and the Senate as well as address the identified anomalies in the bill.
He said that the committee consisted of the leadership of both Chambers of the National Assembly, members of the Conference Committee, the Clerks of both chambers and legal drafting experts from the Directorate of Legal Services of the National Assembly.
Reps pass harmonised Electoral Act
Similarly, the House of Representatives amid rowdy sessions on Tuesday, passed the Electoral Act 2026.
The Spokesperson of the House, Rep. Akin Rotimi made this known in a news conference in Abuja.
Rotimi, who described the passage as historic, said that it had nothing to do with political party membership.
“Yes, the opposition staged a walk out but it is on record that some of the opposition stayed back and voted for the passage,” he said.
The spokesperson said the decision of the house was for the progress of Nigeria.
According to him, if there are issues with electronically transmitting the results, then it will go manual.
He explained that there was no confusion in the amendment but a response to the yearnings of Nigerians.
Rotimi, however, expressed confidence in the country’s democratisation process, saying that the division in the house is the beauty of democracy.
.Minority Caucus reject manual transmission of results
Also, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has rejected manual transmission of election results or any other means that may give room for manipulation.
The Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
“We are against any clause that will give room for manipulation; we are in full support of electronic transmission.
“We are also saying that electronically transmitted results should take precedence over manual transmission,” Chinda said.
He said that the minority caucus would not tolerate any attempt to violate section 84 of the Electoral Act that was prescribed for the selection of candidates internally by political parties.
According to him, the section prescribes a method of selection of candidates as internal party affairs and not to force political parties into direct or indirect primaries or consensus.
