President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the amended Electoral Act into law this month, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio made the statement on Tuesday during an emergency plenary session at which lawmakers constituted a conference committee to harmonise the Senate’s version of the bill with that passed by the House of Representatives, following backlash triggered by some amendments to the Act.
“I believe that if you are able to conclude within 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 said the 12-member conference committee would work with its counterpart in the House of Representatives to harmonise the versions of the bill passed by both chambers.
Akpabio urged the committee to treat the assignment as a matter of urgency.
“When you meet, you should recognise that this is a matter of urgency,” he said.
He explained that the expansion of the committee followed consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly and was aimed at ensuring effective collaboration with the House of Representatives.
Tuesday’s plenary followed public backlash over the passage of the amended Electoral Act.
Last week, the Senate rejected proposals for real-time electronic transmission of election results as contained in Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill, but retained the provision in the 2022 Electoral Act empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of result transmission.
Opposition leaders criticised the decision, warning that it could undermine Nigeria’s democracy, while protesters also staged demonstrations at the National Assembly.
However, on Tuesday, the Senate reversed its position and approved electronic transmission of election results, albeit without the “real-time” qualifier. It also stipulated that where internet connectivity fails, Form EC8A would remain the primary instrument for result collation.
