Senate summons emergency plenary over Electoral Act dispute as protests gather momentum

The Senate has fixed an emergency plenary for Tuesday, February 10, amid rising criticism over its handling of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and the decision to reject a clause requiring real-time electronic transmission of election results.

In a notice issued Sunday, Clerk of the Senate Emmanuel Odo said Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed all senators to reconvene by 12 noon for the sitting.

The move follows days of public backlash from labour unions, civil society groups, opposition figures and socio-political organisations, who argue that removing the mandatory electronic transmission provision weakens safeguards meant to improve election transparency.

The controversy centres on Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill, which proposed that presiding officers electronically transmit results directly from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time. The Senate voted the clause down when it passed the bill on February 4.

Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision that allows results to be transferred electronically only after they have been counted and announced at polling units, leaving the process discretionary rather than compulsory.

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday warned of possible nationwide protests and even election boycotts if the final law fails to clearly mandate electronic transmission. NLC President Joe Ajaero said the Senate’s position had created uncertainty that could erode public trust in the electoral system.

The Congress demanded a clear, official explanation of the exact provisions passed and urged lawmakers involved in the harmonisation process to ensure that the final version of the bill removes any ambiguity around result transmission and collation.

A coalition of political activists under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections also announced plans for a protest in Abuja tagged “Occupy NASS” on Monday. The group described the Senate’s decision as a setback for electoral integrity and warned that it could deepen voter apathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition, which includes several prominent civic leaders, called for the reinstatement of mandatory electronic transmission and greater public accountability from lawmakers who opposed the clause. It also proposed the adoption of a voter-verifiable paper audit trail alongside electronic transmission.

Senate President Akpabio has defended the chamber’s action, stating at a public event that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission and would not be pressured by public criticism.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives’ bipartisan Conference Committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is expected to meet its Senate counterpart this week to reconcile differences between the versions passed by both chambers. A member of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi, confirmed that discussions would take place within the week.

The harmonisation process comes amid renewed debate over the Electoral Act 2022, which introduced reforms such as clearer timelines for party primaries and measures aimed at strengthening INEC’s independence. However, disputes over discrepancies between polling unit results and figures later uploaded to the IReV portal have intensified calls for clearer legal backing for electronic transmission.

Socio-political organisation Afenifere has also urged the joint committee to adopt mandatory real-time transmission of results, arguing that the credibility of future elections depends on a technology-driven framework. The group said leaving electronic transmission optional exposes the system to avoidable disputes and undermines public confidence.

With protests planned and negotiations underway between both chambers of the National Assembly, attention is now on whether the final version of the amendment bill will restore the rejected provision or maintain the Senate’s current position.