By Abasi Ita
Amid escalating controversy over the Senate’s handling of the recent Electoral Act amendment, Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has called an emergency plenary session to address the matter.
In a memo dated 8 February 2026 and signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, all senators were informed that the emergency sitting is scheduled for Tuesday, 10 February 2026, at 12:00 noon in the Senate Chamber of the National Assembly. The notice, issued on the instruction of the Senate President, urges all senators to attend and apologises for the short notice.
The emergency session is expected to provide a platform for senators to deliberate on contentious provisions of the amendment, particularly the electronic transmission of election results, which has drawn widespread criticism.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the Senate over its rejection of mandatory e-transmission of results. In a post on his verified X handle, Obi described the Senate’s action as “a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy” and accused lawmakers of deliberately undermining electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi highlighted that the Senate turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to compel electronic transmission of results. He said, “This failure to pass a clear safeguard is nothing short of a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy. By rejecting these essential transparency measures, they are eroding the very foundation of credible elections.”
He further warned that resistance to such reforms perpetuates disorder, allowing a small clique to manipulate outcomes. Obi called on Nigerians to prepare to resist attempts to compromise electoral integrity, emphasising that the 2023 election manipulations must not be repeated in 2027.
Senate President Akpabio, however, has maintained that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission during the consideration of the amendment, defending the lawmakers’ position amid criticisms and clarifying their intent to uphold a credible electoral process.
The emergency sitting and ongoing debates come as public and political pressures continue to mount on the Senate to adopt transparent, technology-driven safeguards to strengthen the nation’s electoral system.