The Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 Repeal and Reenactment Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading, but rejected proposals to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
During plenary on Wednesday, February 4, lawmakers voted against amending Clause 60, Subsection 3, which sought to enforce compulsory electronic transmission.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, clarified that electronic transmission remains part of the law.
“Electronic transmission has always been in our act,” Akpabio said.
“What we did was retain the existing provision, which already makes provision for electronic transmission,” he added, stressing that there was no intention to delay or weaken the legislation.
The Senate also reviewed other key provisions. A proposed 10-year jail term for buying or selling Permanent Voter Cards under Clause 22 was rejected; instead, a two-year term was retained while the fine was increased from ₦2 million to ₦5 million.
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Timelines for electoral processes were adjusted. Clause 28 reduced the notice of election from 360 days to 180 days, while Clause 29 shortened the submission deadline for candidates’ lists and affidavits from 180 days to 90 days.
The amended Clause 29 states: “Every political party shall, not later than 90 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who shall have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”
Clause 44 on ballot paper inspection by political parties was retained, and Clause 47 replaced smart card readers with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accreditation and voting.
However, proposals for electronically generated voter identification were rejected, with Permanent Voter Cards remaining the sole means of identification.
Clause 142, which addressed the effect of non-compliance in election petitions, was removed to prevent procedural delays in courts.
The Senate concluded by setting up a conference committee to harmonise differences with the House of Representatives, chaired by Senator Tahir Munguno.