The Senate will hold an emergency plenary session on Tuesday amid growing controversy over recent amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions concerning the electronic transmission of election results.

The emergency sitting was announced in a notice issued on Sunday by the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Emmanuel Odo, following a directive from the Senate President, Sen. 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 as follows: Date: Tuesday, 10th February, 2026. Time: 12:00 noon. Venue: Senate Chamber,” the notice stated.

Although no official reason was provided, the session comes against the backdrop of widespread public debate and protests after the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through third reading last week.

The controversy centres on Clause 60(3) of the bill, which deals with the electronic transmission of election results.

The Senate declined to adopt an amendment that would have made real-time electronic transmission mandatory, opting instead to retain the existing provision in the 2022 Electoral Act.

The retained clause states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

The rejected proposal would have compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results to the IREV portal in real time after the relevant result forms had been duly signed and stamped.

Lawmakers also turned down proposals seeking a 10-year ban on vote-buyers, choosing to maintain the current penalties of fines and imprisonment.

Public dissatisfaction spilled onto the streets on Monday as civil society organisations and opposition political parties gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja under the banner of the “Occupy National Assembly” protest.

The demonstration attracted a heavy security presence, with personnel deployed from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Security operatives barricaded the entrance to the complex. However, some protesters told Channels Television that they had no intention of forcing entry, explaining that the protest was designed to remain at the gate.

The demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat to the National Assembly complex.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), joined the protest.

Obi urged lawmakers to prevent a recurrence of the technical glitches reported by INEC during the 2023 general elections.

He argued that making real-time electronic transmission mandatory would strengthen transparency and improve the credibility of the electoral process.