The Nigerian Senate has approved the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 following a tense plenary marked by procedural disputes over Clause 60.
Lawmakers clashed after Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded a formal division on provisions relating to the transmission of election results.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially indicated that the matter had already been addressed, but opposition members objected, prompting further arguments over Senate rules.
After deliberations and points of order, a vote was eventually conducted on whether to retain a proviso allowing manual transmission of results if electronic systems fail.
During the division, 55 senators voted to keep the clause permitting manual backup transmission, while 15 opposed it.
The dispute temporarily disrupted proceedings as lawmakers engaged in consultations before the chamber moved into a closed-door session.
Earlier, the Senate had adopted a motion to rescind previous amendments, allowing for clause-by-clause reconsideration of the bill before its final passage.
The legislation now moves forward after extensive debate over the balance between electronic result transmission and contingency measures in the event of technical challenges.
