RismadarVoice Reporters
February 18, 2026
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, following intense debate and a division over provisions relating to the transmission of election results.
The upper chamber resumed consideration of the bill with a demand for division on Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially stated that he believed the demand had earlier been withdrawn, but opposition senators objected, insisting the matter was still valid.
Citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that it would be out of order to revisit a provision on which the Senate President had already ruled.
However, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele clarified that he had sponsored a motion for rescission, thereby nullifying earlier decisions on the bill and allowing fresh consideration of its provisions. He maintained that Senator Abaribe’s demand was therefore in order.
Akpabio suggested that the call for division was an attempt by Abaribe to publicly demonstrate his position, but subsequently sustained the point of order, invited the senator to formally move his motion.
Rising under Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), particularly objecting to the proviso permitting manual transmission of election results in the event of failure of electronic transmission. He sought the removal of the clause allowing Form EC8A to serve as a fallback in cases of network failure.
During the division, Akpabio directed senators supporting the caveat to stand, followed by those opposing it. Fifteen opposition senators stood against the proviso, while 55 senators voted in support. The Senate President subsequently declared the proviso retained.
Closed-Door Session, Rescission Motion
Earlier in the day, the Senate had dissolved into the Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause reconsideration of the bill after formally seconding a motion to rescind its earlier passage.
The process briefly stalled at Clause 60 when Abaribe raised a point of order, prompting murmurs across the chamber and consultations among lawmakers. The Senate thereafter proceeded into a closed-door session.
Before rescinding the bill, lawmakers raised concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and certain technical inconsistencies identified in the legislation.
Moving the motion under Order 52(6), Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele explained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced a timetable scheduling the 2027 general elections for February 2027 after consultations with the National Assembly leadership.
He noted that stakeholders had expressed concerns that the proposed timeline could conflict with provisions of the amended law, particularly Clause 28, which requires elections to be held not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.
Bamidele warned that strict application of the 360-day notice requirement could result in the presidential and National Assembly elections being conducted during the Ramadan period, potentially affecting voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
The motion also cited discrepancies in the Long Title and several clauses of the bill — 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 — relating to cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency.
Following fresh deliberations, the Senate passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.
