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Nigeria’s Senate has passed the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, endorsing a controversial clause that preserves manual transmission of results where electronic systems fail.
The upper chamber approved the sweeping reform after a tense session marked by procedural disputes and sharp exchanges across party lines.
At the heart of the debate was Clause 60(3), which outlines how election results should be handled if electronic transmission collapses.
While the bill broadly seeks to overhaul the Electoral Act, 2022, the specific provision allowing manual transmission in the event of network disruption became the flashpoint.
Procedural dispute sparks heated debate
Early in deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio indicated that a previous request tied to the clause had been withdrawn.
However, opposition lawmakers quickly contested that position, insisting the matter remained live.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin invoked Order 52(6) to argue that revisiting a point already ruled upon would violate Senate procedure.
His submission triggered loud objections, as lawmakers traded points of order across the aisle.
In the midst of the exchanges, Senator Sunday Karimi and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe were briefly locked in a verbal confrontation, further heightening tensions on the floor.
Motion for rescission reopens the clause
Seeking to calm the chamber, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reminded colleagues that he had formally moved a motion for rescission. According to him, any previous decision tied to the clause had effectively lapsed.
“Once a motion for rescission is properly before the Senate, earlier conclusions cannot stand,” he argued, adding that the demand for a division was procedurally sound.
However, Akpabio suggested that the push for a recorded vote was more symbolic than substantive.
In his view, the call for division appeared designed to signal a public stance rather than alter the legislative arithmetic.
Abaribe demands recorded vote
Rising under Order 72(1), Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe pressed for a formal division on Clause 60(3).
He specifically targeted the provision stating that where electronic transmission fails, Form EC8A should not be the sole determinant of results, while also seeking to remove the safeguard that permits manual transmission in cases of network breakdown.
“We cannot build electoral credibility on uncertainty,” Abaribe said during the debate.
“If electronic transmission is our benchmark, we must not dilute it with loopholes.”
His motion compelled the Senate President to order a headcount.
Lawmakers supporting the retention of the proviso were asked to stand, followed by those opposing it.
Voting outcome
When the votes were tallied, 55 senators stood in support of retaining the manual transmission backup, while 15 opposed the clause.
With that margin, the Senate upheld the proviso, effectively maintaining a dual-track framework for result transmission under the amended law.
Implications for Nigeria’s electoral system
The passage of the Electoral Act amendment signals lawmakers’ intent to balance technological reform with contingency safeguards.
Supporters argue that Nigeria’s uneven network infrastructure makes a manual fallback necessary to prevent disruptions.
Critics, however, contend that retaining manual transmission risks undermining public confidence in digital reforms introduced in recent election cycles.
The bill now advances in the legislative process, setting the stage for further scrutiny as stakeholders assess its potential impact on Nigeria’s electoral transparency and integrity.