THE Senate today approved the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following a tense and, at times, disorderly session marked by sharp disagreements over key provisions.
Proceedings became heated when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a division on Clause 60 as the upper chamber resumed consideration of the bill.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he understood that the request had earlier been withdrawn, a claim swiftly challenged by opposition lawmakers.
Invoking Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that it would be procedurally improper to reopen a matter on which the Senate President had already ruled.
His submission triggered another round of uproar, during which Senator Sunday Karimi briefly clashed with Abaribe.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele intervened, reminding colleagues that he had sponsored the motion for rescission and that earlier decisions on the bill were no longer binding.
He maintained that Abaribe’s demand was consistent with that motion.
Akpabio suggested that the call for division was aimed at publicly registering Abaribe’s position.
He subsequently upheld the point of order, prompting Abaribe to rise in protest before being urged to formally move his motion.
Citing Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), particularly objecting to a proviso permitting manual transmission of election results in the event of electronic failure.
He argued that Form EC8A should not become the sole determinant where electronic transmission fails and sought the removal of the clause allowing manual transmission during network disruptions.
During the vote, Akpabio asked senators supporting the proviso to stand, followed by those opposing it.
Fifteen opposition senators stood against the caveat.
When votes were tallied, the Senate President announced that 55 senators supported the proviso, while 15 voted against it.
Earlier in the day, legislative business had briefly stalled during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after a motion to rescind an earlier amendment was seconded, enabling the Senate to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations.
As Akpabio read out the clauses sequentially for review, proceedings slowed at Clause 60 when Abaribe raised a point of order, drawing widespread attention on the floor.
Lawmakers gathered in clusters for consultations, with some approaching the Senate President’s desk, before the chamber moved into a closed-door session.
Before rescinding the bill, the red chamber had expressed concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the legislation.
Moving the motion under Order 52(6), Bamidele sought to reverse the earlier passage and return the bill for further scrutiny.
He explained that the move followed the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which scheduled the 2027 general elections for February 2027 after consultations with National Assembly leadership.
According to him, stakeholders warned that the proposed timetable could conflict with the amended law’s requirement that elections be held not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.
He added that a strict application of the 360-day notice provision in Clause 28 could result in the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections falling within the Ramadan period.
Bamidele cautioned that conducting elections during Ramadan might affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the overall credibility and inclusiveness of the process.
The motion to rescind also pointed to drafting errors in the bill’s Long Title and multiple clauses — including 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93 and 143 — citing issues related to cross-referencing, numbering, and internal consistency.
