Tinubu to Sign Amended Electoral Act into Law This Month – Akpabio
President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the amended Electoral Act into law before the end of February, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio made the disclosure on Tuesday, February 10, during an emergency plenary session of the Senate, where lawmakers constituted a conference committee to harmonise the Senate’s version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill with that passed by the House of Representatives.
“I believe that if you are able to conclude within this, in the next few days or one week, the President should be able to sign this amended Electoral Bill into an Act of Parliament within this month of February,” Akpabio told his colleagues. “So I wish you a worthy deliberation with your colleagues.”
The 12-member conference committee is expected to meet with representatives of the House to reconcile differences between both chambers’ versions of the bill before forwarding a unified draft to the President for assent.
Describing the assignment as urgent, Akpabio urged the panel to expedite its work.
“The conference committee, when you meet, you should recognize that this is a matter of urgency,” he said, noting that the expansion of the committee followed consultations with Senate leadership to ensure alignment with the House of Representatives.
The emergency session followed public backlash over recent amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly changes to Clause 60(3), which addresses the electronic transmission of election results.
Last week, the Senate rejected proposals that would have made real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory, opting instead to retain provisions from the 2022 Electoral Act that grant the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discretion over the mode of transmission.
The decision drew criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argued that removing the real-time requirement could undermine electoral transparency. Protests were subsequently staged at the National Assembly.
In response, the Senate on Tuesday reversed its earlier stance and approved electronic transmission of results, albeit without including the “real-time” provision. Lawmakers also stipulated that in areas where internet connectivity fails, Form EC8A will remain the primary instrument for result collation.
If harmonisation with the House is concluded within the projected timeframe, the amended Electoral Act could be signed into law before the end of February.
