Olushola Omogbehin
The Nigerian Senate will today hold an emergency plenary session to address the reactions of Nigerians on the way the amendments to the Electoral Act was handled by the Senate, importantly, their decision to exclude mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Since the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026 some days ago, the civil society organisations, opposition figures, labour unions, professional bodies, regional leaders and many youth movements have expressed their anger in different ways with some taken theirs to the gates of the National Assembly.
The emergency session which was formally announced on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, will be predided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has directed the reconvening of plenary for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026,” the statement read.
In spite of clarifications upon clarifications by the Senator Akpabio and other Senate leaders that electronic transmission was not rejected outright, public outrage has continued to grow, saying that the removal “real-time” creates loopholes for post-poll manipulation.
Accusing the Senate of causing confusion and undermining confidence in the electoral process through contradictory explanations of its actions, the Nigeria Labour Congress has warned of nationwide protests and possible election boycotts if the Senate refused to take a clear position on mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Plenary is scheduled to commence at 12 noon.
