The Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The notice was conveyed in a statement issued Sunday by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said all lawmakers have been requested to attend. According to the statement, Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the reconvening of the chamber, with proceedings set to begin at noon.
The development comes days after the upper chamber considered amendments to the Electoral Act and rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Although the Senate passed the Electoral Bill 2026 after extended debate, it declined to adopt a recommendation that would have required presiding officers to upload polling unit results instantly to the INEC Result Viewing portal. Lawmakers instead retained the framework in the 2022 law, which permits electronic transmission after votes are counted and announced at polling units.
The decision has drawn criticism from civil society figures, including former minister Oby Ezekwesili, and groups such as Afenifere, who argue that the move could weaken electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has also indicated that it cannot release the timetable for the 2027 polls while legislative amendments remain unresolved. The commission has separately flagged the presence of deceased persons on the voters’ register and announced plans for a nationwide verification exercise.
The African Democratic Congress has expressed concern over delays in concluding the amendment process, warning that uncertainty in the legal framework could create complications for political parties preparing for the next election cycle.
Under the existing provisions retained by the Senate, presiding officers are required to count ballots at polling units, record and publicly announce results, and then transmit them electronically to collation centres. Violations attract penalties of up to N500,000 or a minimum of six months’ imprisonment.
Observers say Tuesday’s emergency session may reopen debate around the rejected amendment amid public pressure and possible legal challenges, a development that could shape the framework governing Nigeria’s next national elections.
