The Senate has fixed Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for an emergency plenary session, signaling renewed legislative activity amid growing debate over recent amendments to the Electoral Act.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said the sitting was convened on the directive of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. All senators have been asked to attend the session, which is scheduled to begin at noon.
The emergency sitting comes days after the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill but rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. The decision has triggered intense public debate and criticism from civil society groups and political stakeholders.
During deliberations on the bill, lawmakers declined to amend Section 60 of the Act to compel presiding officers to upload results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time. Instead, the Senate retained provisions allowing electronic transmission after votes are counted and results publicly announced at polling units.
While approving the bill, the Senate introduced changes to electoral timelines, penalties for election-related offences, and provisions on voting technology. However, the rejection of real-time result transmission has remained the most contentious aspect of the amendments.
The development has also affected INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections. The commission has completed its draft election timetable but has delayed its release, citing uncertainty created by the ongoing amendment process. INEC has additionally flagged concerns over outdated entries on the voters’ register, including deceased persons, and plans a nationwide verification exercise.
Under the existing provisions retained by lawmakers, presiding officers are required to count and announce results at polling units, transmit them electronically to collation centres, and provide copies to party agents and security personnel. Violations attract penalties of up to ₦500,000 or a minimum six-month jail term.
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