The Senate has announced that it will hold an emergency plenary sitting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The announcement was made on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo.
In the statement, Odo said all senators have been requested to attend the emergency plenary sitting.
“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.
According to Odo, the emergency sitting will commence at 12 noon on Tuesday.
The development follows the Senate’s rejection, on February 4, of a proposed amendment seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory under the Electoral Act.
Although the Senate passed the Electoral Bill 2026 after hours of robust debate, it rejected the proposal to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results, while approving significant reforms to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences, and voting technology.
At the centre of the controversy was Section 60, which governs the transmission of polling unit results. Senators voted down a recommendation by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters that would have compelled presiding officers to upload results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time.
Instead, lawmakers retained the provision in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows electronic transmission of results only after votes are counted and publicly announced at polling units.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which has concluded work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, is yet to release it due to ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
INEC also identified the inclusion of deceased persons on the voters’ register, prompting plans for a nationwide verification exercise.
The Senate’s decision has sparked widespread criticism from activists, including former minister Oby Ezekwesili, and groups such as Afenifere, who argue that the move undermines electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 polls.
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) warned that delays in passing the Electoral Act amendments could expose political parties to technical and legal challenges ahead of the elections.
Under the retained provisions, presiding officers are required to count votes at polling units, record results on prescribed forms, announce them publicly, and transmit them electronically to the appropriate collation centres. Copies of the results must also be given to polling agents and security personnel where available.
Violators face fines of up to N500,000 or a minimum of six months’ imprisonment.
Tuesday’s emergency session could lead to a reconsideration of the rejected amendment amid public outcry and potential legal challenges from figures such as lawyer Femi Falana, a development that could significantly shape Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of 2027.
