Uncertainty gripped the National Assembly last night as the Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026 failed to convene as scheduled, raising fresh concerns over the fate of the contentious electronic transmission clause.
Lawmakers from both chambers had been mandated to harmonise differences in 20 disputed clauses of the proposed legislation.
However, as at press time, no formal session had held due to the absence of key members of the House of Representatives delegation.
Some members of the Senate team, including Orji Uzor Kalu and Abba Moro, were present at 11:00 am, the initial meeting time. They later moved to the office of the Senate panel chairman, Simon Bako Lalong, and rescheduled the session for 3:00 pm.
By mid-afternoon, senators returned — but again, no House members showed up.
At about 4:00 pm, Lalong arrived and was later joined by the House Conference Committee Chairman, Adebayo Balogun. The two held a brief discussion before dispersing without reaching any harmonised position.
A senior committee member summed up the impasse bluntly: “How can there be a conclusion when the meeting failed to hold?”
Clause 60(3): The Flashpoint
At the heart of the disagreement is Clause 60(3), which deals with electronic transmission of election results.
The House version mandates real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The Senate, however, amended the clause on February 4, 2026, removing the words “real-time” and opting for a more flexible framework.
The Senate’s position has sparked public outrage, including the #OccupyNASS protest in Abuja and threats of industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Defending the upper chamber’s stance, Senate spokesman Adeyemi Adaramodu said lawmakers were acting cautiously to safeguard public trust.
“We don’t just wake up on impulse.
It must be painstakingly done so that flaws do not repudiate whatever trust Nigerians have in our system,” he stated.
High Stakes Ahead of Plenary
To resolve the deadlock, both chambers constituted a 12-member Conference Committee. The Senate delegation is chaired by Lalong, while Balogun leads the House team.
With the Senate scheduled to hold plenary today at 11:00 am — as confirmed by Clerk Emmanuel Odo — attention has shifted to whether lawmakers will present a unified version of the bill or defer deliberations.
Sources hinted that a late-night meeting outside the National Assembly complex was being considered in a last-minute bid to reconcile positions before plenary.
2027 Elections in Focus
The delay comes amid mounting public scrutiny ahead of the 2027 general elections. Observers say the final wording of the electronic transmission clause could shape the credibility of future polls.
If harmonisation fails before plenary, lawmakers may be forced to either postpone final passage or adopt a compromise that could redefine how election results are transmitted nationwide.
With political pressure building and public confidence at stake, today’s session may determine whether the new Electoral Act strengthens transparency — or reignites debate over Nigeria’s electoral technology framework.