President Bola Tinubu is expected to assent to the amended Electoral Act before the end of February, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said.
Akpabio made this known on Tuesday during an emergency plenary session of the Senate, where lawmakers constituted a conference committee to harmonise the chamber’s version of the Electoral Act amendment bill with that earlier passed by the House of Representatives. The move follows intense public backlash over some provisions in the amended law.
“I believe that if you are able to conclude within this—in the next few days or one week—the President should be able to sign this amended Electoral Bill into an Act of Parliament within this month of February,” Akpabio told lawmakers. “So I wish you a worthy deliberation with your colleagues.”
The Senate President explained that the newly constituted 12-member conference committee would work directly with its counterpart in the House of Representatives to reconcile areas of disagreement between both versions of the bill.
He urged the lawmakers on the committee to approach their assignment with speed, describing it as a “matter of urgency.”
“The conference committee, when you meet, you should recognize that this is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio said.
According to him, the decision to expand the committee was reached after “consultation with the leadership” and was aimed at ensuring seamless engagement with lawmakers in the House of Representatives during the harmonisation process.
Tuesday’s session came against the backdrop of widespread criticism that followed the Senate’s passage of the amended Electoral Act last week. At the centre of the controversy was Clause 60(3), where the Senate declined to adopt proposals mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Instead, the chamber retained the provision in the 2022 Electoral Act that allows the Independent National Electoral Commission to determine the mode of transmission of results. The decision drew sharp reactions from opposition leaders and civil society groups, who argued that it could weaken electoral transparency and undermine democratic accountability.
The backlash spilled onto the streets, with protests staged at the National Assembly complex by opposition figures and civic groups demanding compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results.
However, during Tuesday’s plenary, the Senate adjusted its position by approving electronic transmission of election results, though without retaining the phrase “real-time.” Lawmakers also agreed that in situations where internet connectivity fails, Form EC8A would remain the primary instrument for collating election results.
What you should know
The amended Electoral Act has become a major flashpoint ahead of the 2027 general elections, with debates centred on whether election results should be transmitted electronically and in real time.
While critics argue that removing “real-time” weakens transparency, the Senate insists the change is meant to prevent legal complications caused by network failures and to give INEC operational flexibility.
The conference committee’s outcome will determine the final shape of the law, which could significantly influence public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and the credibility of future elections.
