The Senate has announced plans to convene an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The decision was conveyed in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said all senators have been urged to attend the special sitting.
According to the statement, Senate President Godswill Akpabio approved the reconvening of plenary for the emergency session, which is scheduled to begin at noon on Tuesday.
The development comes days after the Senate, on February 4, rejected a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act that sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Although lawmakers passed the Electoral Bill 2026 after extensive debate, they declined to adopt the provision compelling presiding officers to upload polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time. Instead, the Senate retained the framework in the 2022 Electoral Act, which permits electronic transmission of results after votes have been counted and publicly announced at polling units.
The controversy centred on Section 60 of the bill, which regulates the transmission of results. A recommendation by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters to enforce real-time uploads was defeated during plenary.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it cannot release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections due to the ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly. The commission also flagged concerns over the presence of deceased persons on the voters’ register and announced plans for a nationwide verification exercise.
The Senate’s decision has drawn sharp criticism from civil society actors and political groups. Former minister Oby Ezekwesili and socio-political group Afenifere have accused lawmakers of weakening electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 polls. Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) warned that delays in finalising the Electoral Act amendments could expose political parties to legal and technical challenges.
Under the provisions retained by the Senate, presiding officers are required to count votes at polling units, record results on official forms, announce them publicly, and transmit them electronically to the appropriate collation centres. Copies of results must also be given to polling agents and security officials where available. Violations attract penalties of up to ₦500,000 or a minimum jail term of six months.
Tuesday’s emergency sitting is expected to address the growing public backlash and could reopen debate on the rejected amendment, amid mounting pressure from legal practitioners such as Femi Falana and other stakeholders seeking stronger safeguards for electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 elections.
