The Senate will reconvene on Tuesday for an emergency session to consider the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill, amid growing pressure from labour groups, legal bodies and civil society over the transmission of election results. A notice issued on Monday by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, announced the recall, raising speculation that contentious provisions of the Bill could be revisited.
The Senate had retained a clause allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of result transmission, effectively ruling out mandatory real-time electronic transmission from polling units. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has since said there would be no reversal of the chamber’s position, despite calls from stakeholders for clearer and technology-driven safeguards ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have criticised the Senate’s stance, warning that discretionary provisions could weaken transparency and public confidence in the electoral process. NLC President Joe Ajaero said the lack of clarity could trigger mass action or election boycotts, while the NBA urged lawmakers to adopt real-time electronic transmission in line with global democratic standards.
Tuesday’s sitting is expected to allow the Senate to formally approve proceedings on the Bill and pave the way for harmonisation with the version passed by the House of Representatives. A joint conference committee, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong, will reconcile differences before the final document is sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
