Senate Schedules Emergency Plenary Amid Debate on Electronic Transmission of Results
The Senate has fixed an emergency plenary session for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, amid ongoing debates over the electronic transmission of election results.
In a notice issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, lawmakers were directed to reconvene at the National Assembly complex on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“I am directed by His Excellency, the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, to inform all Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that an emergency sitting of the Senate has been scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, at 12 noon in the Senate Chamber,” the notice stated.
Odo urged all senators to attend the sitting and apologised for any inconvenience it might cause.
No official reason was given for the emergency meeting. However, it comes against the backdrop of controversies surrounding the electronic transmission of election results following the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill at third reading. The Senate had adjourned plenary shortly after the bill was passed.
Clause 60(30) of the amendment bill relates to the electronic transmission of results. Last Wednesday, the Senate retained provisions for electronic transmission as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.
The Red Chamber rejected proposals for real time transmission of results and a 10 year ban on vote buying. Instead, it upheld existing sanctions, including jail terms and fines.
The development has drawn criticism, prompting some senators to clarify the position of the chamber. The senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, said the bill enjoyed overwhelming support.
“Over 85 per cent of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground. Even the Senate ad hoc committee agreed to it,” Umeh said during an interview on Channels Television.
He explained that the only modification made during the executive session was the removal of the phrase “real time”, citing concerns about network challenges in some areas.
According to Umeh, confusion arose during plenary when a motion was reportedly moved to replace the word “transmission” with “transfer” without debate.
“It was only ‘real time’ that was removed because of network issues. Transmission itself was never in dispute,” he said.
He added that reopening debate during plenary would have been unnecessary, as the matter had already been thoroughly discussed and resolved during the executive session.
