Senate Votes 55–15 to Retain Manual Result Transmission Clause Amid Heated Debate

The Senate was thrown into a rowdy session on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over Clause 60 of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 during resumed proceedings.

Tension flared after Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a division on Clause 60(3), which addresses the transmission of election results. Abaribe sought the removal of the proviso allowing manual transmission of results in cases where electronic transmission fails, arguing that Form EC8A should not be undermined.

However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio maintained that the demand had earlier been withdrawn, a claim swiftly challenged by opposition lawmakers.

Citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that it would be out of order to revisit any provision already ruled upon by the presiding officer. His submission triggered further uproar in the chamber, including a brief exchange between Senator Abaribe and Senator Sunday Karimi.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele clarified that he had sponsored the motion for rescission and stressed that previous Senate decisions on the matter were no longer binding. He affirmed that Abaribe’s request was consistent with the motion under consideration.

Akpabio suggested that the call for division was an attempt by Abaribe to publicly register his position. He subsequently upheld the point of order and invited Abaribe to formally move his motion.

Rising under Order 72(1), Abaribe pressed for a vote. During the division, Akpabio directed senators supporting the proviso to stand, followed by those opposing it. Fifteen opposition senators voted against the clause, while 55 senators backed the retention of the manual transmission caveat.

Clause-by-Clause Review Stalled

Earlier, the Senate had begun clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 after formally seconding a motion to rescind its earlier passage.

The move allowed the upper chamber to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration of the bill. Senate President Akpabio reeled out each clause for deliberation until proceedings were halted at Clause 60 following Abaribe’s intervention.

The development led to murmurs across the chamber, with lawmakers engaging in consultations before the session moved into a closed-door meeting.

Concerns Over 2027 Election Timetable and Ramadan

Before rescinding the bill, senators expressed concerns about the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the legislation.

Moving under Order 52(6), Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele proposed reversing the earlier passage of the bill to allow fresh deliberations. He explained that the decision followed the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027 after consultations with National Assembly leadership.

Stakeholders, he said, had raised concerns that the proposed election date conflicts with provisions requiring elections to be held not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.

Bamidele further noted that strict adherence to the 360-day notice requirement in Clause 28 could push the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections into the Ramadan period, potentially affecting voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the overall credibility of the polls.

The motion also cited discrepancies in the bill’s Long Title and several clauses — including Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143 — noting issues with cross-referencing, numbering, and internal consistency that required correction before final passage.