…Senate, Reps, Pass Reworked Electoral Act After Stormy Sessions
By Peter Salami
Nigeria’s National Assembly has passed the reworked Electoral Act, 2026, following separate but equally stormy sessions in both the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives, with lawmakers divided over electronic transmission of results and election timelines.
While the Senate amended Clause 28 to reduce the statutory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days, the House passed the harmonised bill amid a walkout by minority lawmakers protesting provisions that retain manual transmission of results where electronic transmission fails.
Senate Cuts Notice Period, Retains Manual Transmission
In the upper chamber, the amendment to Clause 28 followed a motion for rescission and recommittal moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, during clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.
The revised clause now provides that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shall publish notice of elections not later than 300 days before the appointed date, instead of the earlier 360 days.
Bamidele explained that a review of the earlier version showed that the 360-day requirement could compel INEC to fix the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections during the Ramadan period, potentially affecting voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation and overall inclusiveness.
The motion also addressed drafting inconsistencies affecting multiple clauses, including issues of cross-referencing and internal coherence within the legislation.
However, proceedings became tense at Clause 60, which deals with the transmission of election results.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) invoked Order 72(1) to demand a division on Clause 60(3), opposing the proviso that permits manual transmission of results where electronic transmission fails.
Abaribe called for the removal of the caveat allowing reliance on manually collated Form EC8A results in the event of network failure, arguing that it could weaken safeguards introduced to enhance electoral transparency.
The debate triggered a rowdy exchange, including procedural arguments raised by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and interventions from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided.
When a division was eventually conducted, 15 senators voted against retaining the proviso, while 55 voted in support, thereby sustaining the clause that allows manual transmission as a fallback in cases of technical failure.
The Senate subsequently passed the bill.
House Minority Walks Out
In the House of Representatives, proceedings were similarly heated as lawmakers considered and passed the harmonised version of the Electoral Act 2026.
Members of the Minority Caucus staged a walkout in protest over the same issue of manual transmission of election results.
Addressing journalists after plenary, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda said the caucus rejected any clause that would permit manual transmission where electronic transmission was available.
“We are against any clause that will give room for manipulation; we are in full support of electronic transmission,” Chinda said. “We are also saying that electronically transmitted results should take precedence over manual transmission.”
According to him, allowing manual transmission as an alternative where electronic systems are functional could undermine electoral credibility and reverse gains achieved through recent reforms.
Chinda also warned against any alteration of Section 84 of the existing Electoral Act, which governs the nomination of candidates by political parties. He maintained that candidate selection is strictly an internal party affair and should not be used to impose direct, indirect or consensus primaries on political parties.
Despite the protest, the House proceeded to pass the bill.
At a separate briefing, House Spokesperson Akin Rotimi described the passage as historic and in the national interest. He dismissed suggestions that the vote reflected partisan divisions, noting that some opposition members remained in the chamber and voted in favour.
Rotimi said the provision for manual transmission was intended strictly as a contingency in the event that electronic transmission fails.
“If there are issues with electronically transmitting the results, then it will go manual,” he said, adding that disagreements on the floor reflected democratic vibrancy rather than institutional breakdown.
INEC Timetable in Focus
The legislative action comes against the backdrop of INEC’s earlier announcement fixing the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, a date that sparked concerns about a potential overlap with Ramadan.
INEC has since indicated that it is consulting stakeholders and may seek legislative backing where necessary to adjust the timetable in line with constitutional and statutory requirements.
With both chambers now aligned on the reworked Electoral Act, including the 300-day notice requirement and the retention of manual transmission as a fallback mechanism, the focus shifts to implementation and the political implications of the changes ahead of the 2027 general elections.