The Senate will today (Tuesday) hold an emergency plenary session amid growing controversy surrounding proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, with particular focus on provisions governing the electronic transmission of election results.The extraordinary sitting was announced in a notice issued on Sunday by the Clerk of the Senate, following a directive from the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.“I am directed by His Excellency, the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, to inform all Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that an Emergency Sitting of the Senate has been scheduled to hold as follows: Date: Tuesday, 10th February, 2026. Time: 12:00 noon. Venue: Senate Chamber,” the notice read.Although no official reason was stated for the emergency session, the development comes against the backdrop of intense public debate and protests that followed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, through a third reading last week.At the heart of the controversy is Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the amendment bill, which addresses the mode of transmitting election results. The Senate declined to approve proposals seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory, opting instead to retain the existing provision in the 2022 Electoral Act.
The retained clause provides that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” a wording critics argue leaves excessive discretion to the electoral body.Lawmakers also rejected an amendment that would have compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit polling unit results electronically to the IREV portal in real time after result forms had been duly signed and stamped.In addition, the Senate voted down proposals for a 10-year ban on individuals found guilty of vote-buying, choosing instead to retain the existing penalties of fines and custodial sentences as stipulated in the current law.The emergency plenary is expected to further shape the legislative and political direction of the amendment, as pressure continues to mount from civil society groups, opposition parties, and sections of the public demanding greater transparency in Nigeria’s electoral process.