The Senate was thrown into disarray on Tuesday as lawmakers reconvened in an emergency session to revisit their controversial decision on the electronic transmission of election results contained in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026, triggering heated exchanges and sharp divisions on the floor of the chamber.
Tension erupted shortly after the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), raised a point of order seeking to rescind the chamber’s earlier approval of Clause 60(3) of the bill. Monguno hinged his request on Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023, a motion that was seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central).
The move immediately unsettled proceedings, with several senators rising in protest and raising counter points of order. The situation worsened when Monguno proceeded to read Clause 60(3) but conspicuously omitted the phrase “real-time,” replacing the word “transmission” with “transfer,” a change that sparked outrage across the chamber.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) objected forcefully, repeatedly raising points of order as shouting matches broke out among lawmakers. According to page 45 of the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Clause 60(3) explicitly states that presiding officers “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time” after due documentation and authentication at the polling unit.
As tempers flared, Abaribe invoked Order 72 of the Standing Orders, calling for a division to determine the will of the Senate. Senate President Godswill Akpabio intervened, asking whether he intended to proceed with a vote. Moments later, Abaribe withdrew his request, momentarily easing tensions in the chamber.
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The dramatic sitting came less than one week after the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026, a decision that has since attracted intense backlash from civil society organisations, opposition parties, labour unions, professional bodies, youth groups and regional leaders. Public anger has spilled onto the streets, with protesters besieging the National Assembly to demand the retention of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Akpabio presided over the emergency plenary, which was attended by 105 senators.
The extraordinary sitting had been announced on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who disclosed that the leadership directed lawmakers to reconvene on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for an urgent review of the contentious clause. Plenary was scheduled to commence at noon.
The unfolding drama has further heightened national anxiety over the credibility of future elections, with critics warning that any dilution of real-time electronic transmission could undermine public trust ahead of the 2027 polls. As pressure mounts within and outside the legislature, Nigerians are watching closely to see whether the Senate will bow to public demand or press ahead with amendments that many fear could reopen the door to electoral manipulation.
