- After rowdy session over e-transmission
The Senate, on Tuesday, appointed a 12-member conference committee to harmonise differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and that of the House of Representatives.
The decision was taken during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday and announced by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Announcing the committee, Akpabio said the number of members had been increased from nine to 12 following consultations with the Senate leadership.
“After consultation with the leadership, we have moved the number from nine to 12. I will now read out the names of the conference committee members from the Senate,” he said.
The appointed members are:
Senator Simon Bako Lalong – Chairman
Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno – Member
Senator Adamu Aliero – Member
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu – Member
Senator Abba Moro – Member
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong – Member
Senator Aminu Iya Abbas – Member
Senator Tokunbo Abiru – Member
Senator Niyi Adegbonmire (SAN) – Member
Senator Jibrin Isah – Member
Senator Ipalibo Banigo – Member
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi – Member
Akpabio urged the committee to treat its assignment as urgent, expressing optimism that the process could be concluded swiftly.
“When you meet, you should recognise that this is a matter of urgency. I believe that if you are able to conclude within the next few days or one week, the President should be able to sign the amended Electoral Bill into law within the month of February,” he said.
He subsequently struck the gavel, formally constituting the committee.
The emergency plenary was convened amid public backlash over amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.
The controversy centres on Clause 60(3), where the Senate removed the requirement for real-time electronic transmission, retaining the 2022 Act provision that empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of transmission.
During the session, divisions emerged among lawmakers. Akpabio aligned with a proposal that recognises electronic transmission as the primary method, with manual submission of results using Form EC8A permitted only in cases of technical failure.
The proposal sparked debate, prompting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to call for individual voting, a request he later withdrew.
The sitting followed widespread protests, including the Occupy National Assembly demonstration in Abuja, where civil society organisations, opposition parties, and prominent figures such as Peter Obi demanded mandatory real-time electronic transmission to strengthen electoral credibility.
Akpabio clarified that the Senate had not rejected electronic transmission, explaining that the removal of the phrase “real time” was intended to prevent legal complications arising from network failures and to allow INEC operational flexibility.
Former Senate President David Mark urged lawmakers to allow INEC to determine the most appropriate transmission method.
While critics argue that the amendment weakens transparency, several senators insist that a majority of the chamber supports electronic transmission and that the disagreement is limited to the wording, not the principle itself.