The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, approved the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, following tense deliberations marked by sharp disagreements over Clause 60 and procedural objections from opposition lawmakers.
Proceedings resumed with a demand for a division on Clause 60 by Enyinnaya Abaribe, triggering a noisy exchange on the floor of the chamber. Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he understood the demand had earlier been withdrawn, a position that drew immediate protests from opposition senators.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin invoked Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, arguing that revisiting a provision already ruled upon would be procedurally improper. The intervention heightened tensions, with a brief confrontation reported between Senator Sunday Karimi and Abaribe.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele clarified that he had earlier sponsored a motion for rescission, effectively nullifying previous decisions on the bill and validating Abaribe’s request for reconsideration.
Akpabio subsequently sustained the point of order and urged Abaribe to formally move his motion. Rising under Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), seeking the removal of a provision permitting manual transmission of election results where electronic transmission fails. He also opposed language stating that Form EC8A should not serve as the sole basis where electronic transmission is unsuccessful.
During the vote, Akpabio directed senators to indicate their positions. A total of 55 senators supported retaining the proviso, while 15 opposition lawmakers voted against it.
Earlier in the session, legislative proceedings were temporarily stalled during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, following a motion to rescind an earlier amendment. The motion was seconded, allowing the Senate to sit as the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration of the proposed law.
Deliberations at Clause 60 prompted a point of order from Abaribe, leading to consultations at the presiding officer’s desk and a brief closed-door session.
Before rescinding the earlier version of the Electoral Act, lawmakers also expressed concerns about the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies within the bill. Bamidele explained that the motion for rescission followed an announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027 after consultations with National Assembly leadership.
According to him, stakeholders warned that the proposed date could conflict with the legal requirement that elections be held at least 360 days before the expiration of tenure, as outlined in Clause 28. He further noted that scheduling elections during Ramadan could affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
The Senate also cited discrepancies in the bill’s Long Title and several provisions — 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 — which lawmakers said created issues with cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency.
