Members of the Joint National Assembly Conference Committee, tasked with reconciling the differing versions of the Electoral Amendment Bill passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, are set to meet on Monday. This step marks a significant escalation in efforts to finalize and transmit a harmonized version of the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The panel, which includes representatives from both chambers of the National Assembly, has been given a one-week deadline to resolve key points of contention in the bill, particularly those surrounding the electronic transmission of election results.
The legislative process has encountered a series of complications following the passage of differing versions of the bill by the Senate and the House. Disagreements between the two chambers center on the scope and implementation of technology in the collation and transmission of election results.
When both the Senate and the House pass different versions of a bill, a conference committee is formed to harmonize the provisions and produce a single text that is agreeable to both chambers. Once the committee reaches a consensus, the final draft of the bill is forwarded to the President for assent.
This current harmonization exercise comes after significant controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections, notably the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload presidential election results to its Result Viewing Portal in real time. The issue raised questions about the integrity of the results and amplified concerns about transparency in the electoral process.
The discussions surrounding the amendment bill have further stirred public interest, as Nigerians continue to debate the effectiveness and potential of electronic transmission of results. Calls for stronger electoral transparency, credibility, and public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process are louder than ever.
In an important development, the Senate passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, following the review of 155 clauses. While some provisions were amended during the clause-by-clause consideration, many were retained as originally proposed. Notably, a significant amendment was the reduction of the timeline for INEC to publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days. This change, which was driven by a motion from Senator Tahir Monguno, followed concerns that the original 360-day requirement was overly cumbersome. Monguno argued that retaining the longer timeline would complicate INEC’s ability to comply, especially given that preparations for future elections were already underway.
The passage of the amendment bill is occurring under mounting pressure on the Senate to complete the necessary revisions in time to provide a solid legal framework for INEC ahead of the 2027 elections.
