The Senate will hold an emergency plenary sitting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 over the mode of transmitting election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Senate Clerk, Emmanuel Odo. announced the planned sittingin a statement on Sunday, saying that all senators have been invited the emergency plenary sitting, which will start at 12 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon
He said, “The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has directed the reconvening of plenary for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 10th 2026.”
The development follows the Senate’s February 4 rejection of a proposed amendment for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly had passed the Electoral Bill 2026 following hours of robust debate. Also, it approved significant reforms to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences, and voting technology.
However, it rejected a proposal to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results.
At the centre of the controversy was Section 60, which governs the transmission of polling unit results. Senators voted down a recommendation by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters that would have compelled presiding officers to upload results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time.
Instead, lawmakers retained the approach in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows electronic transmission after votes are counted and publicly announced at the polling units.
Relatedly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which concluded work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, is unable to release it due to ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
It also identified the inclusion of deceased persons on the voters’ register, prompting plans for a nationwide verification exercise.
The rejection sparked widespread criticism from activists like former minister, Oby Ezekwesili and groups such as Afenifere for undermining electoral transparency ahead of 2027 polls.
On its part, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) raised the alarm over the National Assembly’s delay in passing the Electoral Act amendments, warning that the situation could expose political parties to technical and legal pitfalls ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Under the retained provisions, presiding officers are required to: count votes at the polling unit, record results on prescribed forms, announce them publicly and transmit them electronically to the appropriate collation centre.
Copies must also be provided to polling agents and security personnel where available. Violators face fines of up to N500,000 or a minimum of six months’ imprisonment.
Tuesday’s session at the Senate could lead to reconsidering the amendment amid public outcry and legal challenges from figures like Lawyer Femi Falana, potentially influencing Nigeria’s democratic processes by balancing incumbency protections against demands for verifiable voting technology.
