The Senate on Tuesday convened an emergency plenary session to deliberate on the controversial amendments to the Electoral Act, amid protests at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The extraordinary sitting followed public outrage over the removal of provisions mandating the real-time electronic transmission of election results in the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
Early in the day, protesters gathered around the National Assembly, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding the restoration of electronic transmission clauses and transparency in the amendment process.
Civil society groups, opposition parties, labour unions, youth organisations and other stakeholders have accused the National Assembly of weakening the integrity of future elections through the amendments.
The emergency session, presided over by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commenced at about noon and was attended by serving members of the Upper Chamber.
The Senate currently has 106 members following the death of two senators in the last six months and the exit of one senator who was appointed as an ambassador by President Bola Tinubu.
The sitting was announced on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said the session was convened at the directive of the Senate President.
Deliberations at the plenary are expected to focus largely on the Electoral Act amendments, as protests continued outside the National Assembly premises.