Electoral Act Amendment: Senate bows to pressure, to hold emergency sitting Tuesday,
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Following widespread criticism over its rejection of a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, which sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory, the Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 12:00 noon.
The Senate had earlier adjourned plenary on Wednesday until February 24, 2026. However, an official notice dated February 8, 2026, announced the decision to reconvene lawmakers next week.
The notice, signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, on the directive of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was circulated to senators on Sunday.
It read in part: “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 as follows: Date: Tuesday, 10 February, 2026; Time: 12:00 noon; Venue: Senate Chamber.”
“Distinguished Senators are kindly requested to attend. Any inconvenience this may cause is highly regretted.”
Although the notice did not state the reason for the emergency session, the timing has been widely linked to the intense national controversy surrounding the Senate’s handling of key provisions in the Electoral Act amendment, particularly Section 60(3).
The Senate had adjourned plenary last week after passing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to allow lawmakers participate in budget defence sessions by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) ahead of the final consideration of the ₦58.47 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, scheduled for March 17.
Recall that during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, the Senate, presided over by Akpabio, adopted a motion moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), and seconded by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), to reject the proposed Section 60(3).
The rejected amendment sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal mandatory. It proposed that: “The presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time, after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and/or countersigned by candidates or polling unit agents, where available.”
Instead, the Senate retained Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
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Following widespread criticism over its rejection of a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, which sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory, the Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 12:00 noon.
The post Electoral Act Amendment: Senate bows to pressure, to hold emergency sitting Tuesday appeared first on Vanguard News.
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