Senate Summons Lawmakers for Emergency Sitting Amid Electoral Act Controversy

The Senate has scheduled an emergency sitting for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, following rising debates over the recent amendment of the Electoral Act, particularly the provision on electronic transmission of election results.

In a notice issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, senators were directed to reconvene at the National Assembly complex on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The memo stated that the emergency session would hold at 12 noon inside the Senate Chamber and urged all lawmakers to attend, despite any inconvenience the sudden meeting might cause. No official reason was provided for the sitting.

The development comes shortly after the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill at third reading and subsequently adjourned plenary. Since then, the Red Chamber has faced intense public scrutiny over its decisions on electronic transmission of election results.

A key provision of the bill, Clause 60(30), deals with the electronic transmission of results. Last Wednesday, lawmakers retained the electronic transfer of results as provided in the 2022 Electoral Act but rejected proposals for real-time transmission. They also turned down a suggested 10-year ban on vote-buying, opting instead to maintain existing penalties such as fines and jail terms.

The Senate’s stance has drawn criticism from various quarters, although some lawmakers have insisted that the bill enjoyed overwhelming support within the chamber.

Speaking on Channels Television, Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, said more than 85 percent of senators backed electronic transmission of results. According to him, the issue was largely settled during an executive session, including deliberations by the Senate’s ad hoc committee.

Umeh explained that the only adjustment agreed upon was the removal of the phrase “in real time,” citing concerns over network reliability in certain parts of the country. He said electronic transmission itself was never contested.

The lawmaker further noted that confusion arose during plenary when a motion was allegedly introduced to substitute the word “transmission” with “transfer” without debate.

“Only ‘real time’ was removed because of network challenges,” Umeh said. “Transmission was never in dispute. If it had been debated again, it would have taken us back to issues that had already been thoroughly discussed and resolved in executive session.”

The emergency sitting is expected to further address the controversy surrounding the bill as pressure mounts on the Senate to clarify its position on electronic election processes.