Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin
Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 after a heated session marked by sharp disagreements among lawmakers. The debate became intense when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe raised a demand for division on Clause 60, triggering protests and objections from several senators.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially said the request had been withdrawn, a position that was immediately contested by opposition members.
Tension escalated when Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin cited Order 52(6) to argue that it was improper to reopen an issue already ruled upon.
This led to further uproar in the chamber, including a brief confrontation involving Senator Sunday Karimi and Abaribe. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele later intervened, stressing that his motion for rescission had nullified earlier decisions and justified Abaribe’s request.
Following the exchange, Abaribe formally moved his motion under Order 72(1), calling for a division on Clause 60(3). He sought the removal of the proviso that allows manual transmission of election results if electronic transmission fails.
During the voting process, senators were asked to indicate their positions by standing. At the end of the count, 55 senators supported retaining the proviso, while 15 voted against it.
Earlier in the day, proceedings were delayed during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after lawmakers agreed to rescind the earlier amendment.
This move allowed the Senate to reconvene as a Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations. As Akpabio read out the clauses, debate stalled again at Clause 60, leading to consultations, murmurs across the chamber, and eventually a closed-door session.
The decision to revisit the bill was linked to concerns over the 2027 election timetable announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Bamidele explained that the proposed election dates could conflict with legal requirements and possibly fall during the Ramadan period, which may affect voter turnout and logistics. Lawmakers also identified technical errors in several clauses, including issues with numbering and cross-referencing. These concerns were addressed before the bill was finally passed.
