ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The amended Electoral Act may receive presidential assent before the end of February, as the National Assembly moves to resolve disagreements triggered by controversial changes to the law.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave this indication on Tuesday while presiding over an emergency plenary session, during which the Senate constituted a committee to harmonise its version of the amendment bill with that of the House of Representatives.
The intervention followed mounting public criticism and political pressure over recent amendments, particularly provisions affecting the transmission of election results.
Addressing his colleagues, Akpabio expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would sign the bill once the harmonisation process is concluded.
“If this assignment is completed within the next few days or, at most, one week, I believe the President will be able to sign the amended Electoral Bill into law within this month of February,” he said.
To fast-track the process, the Senate constituted a 12-member conference committee, mandating it to work closely with lawmakers from the House of Representatives to reconcile differences between both chambers’ versions of the bill.
Akpabio charged the committee to treat the assignment with urgency, stressing that the issue had become a national concern.
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“When you meet, you must recognise that this is a matter of urgency,” he told the committee members.
He explained that the size of the committee was expanded after consultations with Senate leadership to ensure effective engagement with the House.
The emergency sitting came against the backdrop of intense backlash that followed the Senate’s earlier decision to reject proposals mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results, as contained in Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill.
Instead, the Senate had retained the provision in the 2022 Electoral Act which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of result transmission.
Opposition figures and civil society groups criticised the move, warning that it could weaken electoral transparency and public trust. The development also sparked protests at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Amid the growing pressure, the Senate on Tuesday reviewed its stance, approving electronic transmission of results, though without the inclusion of the phrase “real-time.”
Under the revised provision, Form EC8A will serve as the primary instrument for result collation in situations where internet connectivity is unavailable.