2027 Polls: Senate Moves To Reconsider Electoral Act Amendment

Nigerian Senate chamber. Facebook/Nigerian Senate.   The Senate has initiated steps to rescind and recommit the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, citing concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the legislation. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); Rising under Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved the motion to reverse the earlier passage of the bill and return it to the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations. Bamidele explained that the development follows the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a timetable fixing the 2027 general elections for February 2027, after consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly. He stated that stakeholders had raised concerns that the proposed date conflicts with the provisions of the amended law, particularly the requirement that elections be scheduled not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure. READ ALSO: Reps In Rowdy Session Over Motion To Rescind ‘Real-Time’ Clause In Electoral Act Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); The Ekiti Central lawmaker noted that upon critical review of the passed bill, the 360-day notice requirement prescribed in Clause 28 could result in the scheduling of the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections during the Ramadan period. According to him, holding elections during Ramadan could negatively affect voter turnout, logistical coordination, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process. The motion also highlighted discrepancies discovered in the Long Title and several clauses of the bill, including Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143. The identified issues reportedly affected cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency within the legislation. Meanwhile, there was a rowdy session in the House of Representatives as lawmakers disagreed over a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which contained real-time electronic transmission of results. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, had moved a motion for the House to rescind its decision on the bill, which was passed on December 23, in line with the Senate’s position on real-time electronic transmission of election results. When the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, put the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” were louder than the “ayes”, but he ruled that the ayes had it. The ruling triggered protests from lawmakers, who began shouting in objection, prompting the speaker to call for an executive session. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: 2027 Polls Electoral Act Senate More Stories 2027 Polls: ADC Is No Match For APC, Says Yilwatda 2027: I won’t Dump Labour Party As Obi Did – Datti Baba-Ahmed  2027: No Presidential Aspirant Will Step Down In ADC – Atiku /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/02/17/2027-polls-senate-moves-to-reconsider-electoral-act-amendment/