Senate passes Electoral Act 2026 Bill after tense debate

2026-02-17 - 17:36

The Senate has passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 after heated deliberations and a contentious debate over Clause 60, which triggered a rowdy session in the upper chamber. Proceedings resumed with a demand for a division on Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South). Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he believed the request had been earlier withdrawn, but opposition lawmakers immediately objected. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, argued that revisiting any provision already ruled on by the Senate President would be out of order. The submission sparked another uproar, during which Senator Sunday Karimi briefly confronted Abaribe. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reminded lawmakers that he had sponsored the motion for rescission, stressing that previous decisions of the Senate were no longer valid and that Abaribe’s demand was consistent with the motion. Akpabio suggested that the call for a division was an attempt by Abaribe to publicly demonstrate his position to Nigerians. He sustained the point of order, after which Abaribe rose in protest and was urged to formally move his motion. Invoking Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), specifically opposing the provision that if electronic transmission of results fails, Form EC8A should not be the sole basis. He proposed deleting the provision allowing manual transmission of results in the event of network failure. During the division, Akpabio directed senators in support of the proviso to stand, followed by those opposed. Fifteen opposition senators stood against the provision, while 55 senators voted in favour of retaining it. Earlier in the session, proceedings were briefly stalled as lawmakers began clause-by-clause consideration of the bill following a motion to rescind an earlier amendment. The motion was seconded, allowing the Senate to resolve into the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration of the proposed legislation. As Akpabio read the clauses for deliberation, Abaribe raised a point of order at Clause 60, prompting murmurs in the chamber and consultations at the presiding officer’s desk. The session later moved into a closed-door meeting. Before rescinding the earlier version of the Electoral Act, senators raised concerns about the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the bill. Bamidele, rising under Order 52(6), moved to reverse the earlier passage and return the bill to the Committee of the Whole, citing the Independent National Electoral Commission’s announcement that the 2027 general elections would hold in February 2027. He noted that stakeholders expressed concerns that the election date conflicted with the law’s requirement that elections be held at least 360 days before the expiration of tenure under Clause 28. He also warned that elections during Ramadan could affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the inclusiveness and credibility of the process. The motion further highlighted 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, affecting cross-referencing, serial numbering and internal consistency within the legislation.