Senate Eyes Constitution Review, Electoral Act Amendment, Budget as Top Priorities After Recess

Senate Eyes Constitution Review, Electoral Act Amendment, Budget as Top Priorities After Recess

The Senate is expected to hit the ground running after its Yuletide recess, with constitutional amendments, reforms to the Electoral Act, and the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill topping its legislative agenda, The Nation has learnt.

Although senators are scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, January 27, plenary activities are unlikely to begin in earnest, as the chamber is expected to suspend proceedings in honour of late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died during the recess.

Sources said the Red Chamber would adjourn shortly after convergence, with substantive legislative business set to commence on the next legislative day.

However, ranking lawmakers disclosed that once full legislative activities resume, three critical national issues will dominate deliberations: the report of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, and intensive work on the 2026 budget.

A senior senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Constitution Review report—chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin—is ready for presentation and consideration.

The source explained that the report was initially slated for debate before the recess but was deferred due to the presentation of the 2026 budget by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It was supposed to be presented before we went on recess, but the budget presentation took precedence,” the source said.
“Now, one of the first major items on resumption will be the Constitution Review report.”

According to the lawmaker, the Deputy Senate President will formally lay the report before the chamber, after which the proposed amendments will be considered clause by clause and subjected to the constitutionally required majority for passage.

Also high on the Senate’s agenda is the amendment of the 2022 Electoral Act, which lawmakers described as urgent ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The urgency is tied to legal timelines requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue election notices and timetables at least 360 days before polling day, as well as approaching deadlines for party primaries under the current law.

The House of Representatives has already passed its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, increasing pressure on the Senate to act swiftly.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has repeatedly assured Nigerians that amendments to the Electoral Act will be concluded in good time ahead of the next general elections.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Constitutional Matters, Dr. Monday Ubani (SAN), Akpabio said the Senate would take up the Bill immediately after resumption, expressing confidence that the legislative process would be completed quickly.

“The timeline is critical, given the legal requirement for INEC to issue a notice of election at least one year before polling day,” Ubani said.
“With the House of Representatives having passed its version, the process is already at an advanced stage.”

He added that presidential assent to the amended Electoral Act is expected by the first week of February.

In addition to constitutional and electoral reforms, senators are expected to intensify scrutiny of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, including committee-level reviews, harmonisation of reports, and final passage to ensure timely implementation of the fiscal plan.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to messages as of the time of filing this report.