The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has summoned lawmakers for an emergency plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, February 10th, 2026.
The directive, issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, on the instructions of The Senate President, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, mandates all senators to assemble at the National Assembly complex at 12:00 Noon. While the official notice did not explicitly state the agenda, the session follows intense public scrutiny regarding the Senate’s recent handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The emergency sitting comes on the heels of the Bill passing its third reading, specifically concerning Clause 60 (30), which deals with the electronic transmission of election results.
While the Senate retained the provision for electronic transfer as established in the 2022 Act, it has faced significant backlash for:
Rejecting “Real-Time” Transmission: Opting instead for general electronic transfer to mitigate concerns over network stability in rural areas.
Vote-Buying Sanctions: Retaining existing fines and jail terms rather than implementing a proposed 10-year ban on offenders.
In response to the growing public outcry, members of the Red Chamber have moved to clarify the Senate’s position. Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) recently emphasized that there is a broad legislative consensus on the issue.
“Over 85 percent of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground,” Senator Umeh stated, clarifying that the phrase “in real time” was the only major modification due to technical infrastructure concerns, while the core principle of electronic transmission remains intact.
The emergency session is widely viewed as an opportunity for the Senate to address the procedural confusion that arose during the previous plenary, where motions regarding the terminology of “transmission” versus “transfer” were reportedly moved without extensive debate.
The Senate leadership expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to members by the short notice but emphasized the urgency of the sitting in the national interest.
