The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026.
Before its passage, the upper chamber witnessed a rowdy session as proceedings resumed with a demand for division over Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South).
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated that he believed the demand had previously been withdrawn, but several opposition senators immediately objected.
Citing Order 52(6), the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, argued that it would be out of order to revisit any provision on which the Senate President had already ruled.
This submission sparked another uproar in the chamber, during which Senator Sunday Karimi had a brief face-off with Abaribe.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, reminded lawmakers that he had sponsored the motion for rescission, stressing that decisions previously taken by the Senate were no longer valid following the motion.
He maintained that, consistent with his motion, Abaribe’s demand was in order.
Akpabio further suggested that the call for division was merely an attempt by Abaribe to publicly demonstrate his stance.
The Senate President sustained the point of order, after which Abaribe rose in protest and was urged to formally move his motion.
Rising under Order 72(1), Abaribe called for a division on Clause 60(3), particularly concerning the provision that where electronic transmission of results fails, Form EC8A should not serve as the sole basis for collation. He called for the removal of the proviso allowing manual transmission of results in the event of network failure.
During the division, Akpabio directed senators who supported the caveat to stand. He then asked those opposed to it to rise.
Fifteen opposition senators stood in opposition.
However, after counting the votes, the Senate President announced that 15 senators voted against the proviso, while 55 senators voted in support of it.
Earlier, proceedings were momentarily stalled as lawmakers began clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, following a motion to rescind the earlier amendment.
The motion to rescind the bill was formally seconded on Tuesday, paving the way for the Senate to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole for detailed reconsideration and re-enactment of the proposed legislation.
During the session, Akpabio reeled out the clauses one after another for deliberation.
However, the process stalled at Clause 60 when Abaribe raised a point of order, drawing immediate attention on the floor.
Following his intervention, murmurs spread across the chamber as lawmakers gathered in small groups and approached the Senate President’s desk for consultations.
The Senate subsequently moved into a closed-door session.
Before rescinding the Electoral Act, the red chamber had raised concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and certain technical inconsistencies in the legislation.
Rising under Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the motion to reverse the earlier passage of the bill and return it to the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations.
He explained that the development followed the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a timetable fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027, after consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly.
According to him, stakeholders had raised concerns that the proposed date conflicted with provisions of the amended law, particularly the requirement that elections be scheduled not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.
He further noted that a critical review of the passed bill showed that the 360-day notice requirement prescribed in Clause 28 could result in the scheduling of the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections during the Ramadan period.
He warned that holding elections during Ramadan could negatively affect voter turnout, logistical coordination, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process.
The motion also highlighted discrepancies discovered in the Long Title and several clauses of the bill, 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. The identified issues reportedly affected cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency within the legislation.
