-Lawmakers to reconvene Feb. 10, shifting focus from budget defense to address mounting public backlash.
The Nigerian Senate has summoned an emergency plenary session for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, cutting short a recess originally intended to last until late February.
The move comes amid a firestorm of public criticism following the upper chamber’s handling of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, particularly the decision to reject a clause that would have made the real-time electronic transmission of election results a mandatory legal requirement.
The Senate had adjourned last Thursday to February 26 to allow its committees to focus on budget defense sessions for the ₦58.47 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill. However, a circular from the Clerk of the Senate is expected to formally recall lawmakers to the red chamber by noon on Tuesday.
The Eye of the Storm
While the official agenda for the emergency sitting has not been released, a competent legislative source told *The Sun* that the session is “not unconnected” to the heated controversy surrounding Section 60(3) of the proposed amendment.
Last week, the Senate, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, rejected a proposal that sought to mandate presiding officers to electronically transmit results from polling units directly to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time.
The Senate instead opted to retain Section 60(5) of the 2022 Act, which grants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the discretion to determine the manner of result transfer. Critics argue this creates a legal loophole that could undermine transparency in the 2027 general elections.
Mounting Pressure
The decision has drawn sharp rebukes from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), PDP chieftain Chief Bode George, and prominent civil society groups like Yiaga Africa and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).
The Obidient Movement and other advocacy groups have reportedly begun mobilizing for a mass protest at the National Assembly, demanding that the Senate restore the “real-time” mandate to boost public confidence in the electoral process.
Senators Fight Back
In a bid to control the narrative, 13 senators from various political parties, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), held an emergency press briefing to clarify the Senate’s position.
“We came out to correct the wrong impression. The Senate did not, I repeat, did not reject electronic transmission of results,” Abaribe told journalists, arguing that the legislative language was intended to provide flexibility rather than a total ban on technology.
Harmonization Committee Formed
Ahead of the Tuesday sitting, the Senate has already constituted a conference committee to harmonize its version of the bill with that of the House of Representatives.
The Senate team includes heavyweight lawmakers such as Senators Simon Lalong, Orji Uzor Kalu, Tahir Monguno, and Adamu Aliero. They will meet with a House panel chaired by Hon. Bayo Balogun to reach a final consensus on the contentious clauses.
As lawmakers prepare to return to the chambers on Tuesday, all eyes remain on the Red Chamber to see if the leadership will bow to public pressure or maintain its stance on the discretionary use of electronic transmission technology.
