Deliberations on the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, ended inconclusively on Tuesday, as the Senate failed to reach a final decision after over four hours of closed-door consideration of a report by a seven-member ad hoc committee.
The extended session concluded without a resolution, further delaying amendments widely seen as critical to Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of future elections.
The upper chamber had begun by reviewing the consolidated report of the ad hoc committee, which was established to collate and harmonise senators’ views on the bill. After initial discussions in open plenary, lawmakers moved into a closed-door session to scrutinise the committee’s documents in detail.
When plenary reconvened, Senate President Godswill Akpabio did not disclose the outcome of the deliberations, adjourning the session to the next legislative day and leaving the bill’s fate uncertain.
The seven-member ad hoc committee, constituted last week following over two hours of debate on the bill, is chaired by Senator Niyi Adegbomore, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. Other members include Senators Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye, and Titus Zam.
The committee was tasked with collating, harmonising, and presenting a unified report on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to the chamber. Documents submitted to support the review, according to sources quoted by Channels Television, contained detailed proposals aimed at refining Nigeria’s electoral laws.
Tuesday’s adjournment comes after the Senate previously deferred consideration of the bill to allow lawmakers more time for a thorough review. Despite expectations that the session would yield a decisive outcome, the leadership’s silence has prompted renewed questions about the pace and direction of the amendment process.
For now, the Electoral Act Amendment Bill remains in limbo, as Nigerians await the Senate’s next move.