Nigeria’s Senate will today, Tuesday, hold an emergency plenary session amid escalating national outrage over controversial amendments to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026, particularly the removal of the clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The extraordinary sitting, scheduled to commence at 12 noon, comes less than a week after the bill was passed, triggering backlash from civil society organisations, labour unions, opposition leaders, regional blocs, professional bodies, and youth-led movements who warn that the amendment could undermine electoral credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The session was formally announced on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed lawmakers to reconvene urgently.

“The President of the Senate has approved the reconvening of plenary for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026,” the statement read.

Electoral Act Amendment Puts Senators Under Siege

Public anger intensified after the Senate deleted the phrase “real-time” from provisions governing electronic transmission of results, a move critics say opens the door to post-election manipulation.

Sources within the National Assembly revealed that several senators, particularly members of the Harmonisation Committee, were inundated with angry calls and threats after their phone numbers circulated online. Some reportedly switched off their phones to avoid harassment.

Despite Senate leaders insisting that electronic transmission was not scrapped entirely, distrust continues to grow, with critics arguing that the absence of “real-time” transmission weakens safeguards against electoral fraud.

Labour, Youth Groups Threaten Protests and Election Boycott

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned of nationwide protests and potential election boycotts unless lawmakers adopt a clear and unambiguous position mandating electronic transmission of results.

At the same time, a coalition of political activists under the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) staged a mass protest in Abuja on Monday, tagged “Occupy NASS.”

Peter Obi Joins ‘Occupy NASS’ Protest

The protest gained momentum when former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, joined demonstrators at the National Assembly complex.

Protesters, largely drawn from the Obidient Movement and other pro-democracy groups, marched with placards reading “Our Votes Must Count,” “No to Electoral Robbery,” and “Protect Democracy Now.”

Addressing journalists, Obi warned against democratic backsliding.

“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that Nigeria can be a beacon of democracy in Africa,” he said.

Security operatives from the police, army, and civil defence prevented protesters from accessing the National Assembly premises.

Civil Society Gives National Assembly Two-Week Ultimatum

Prominent civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa and TAF Africa, issued a two-week ultimatum to the National Assembly to conclude amendments and retain mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, TAF Africa Founder, Jake Epelle, urged lawmakers to prioritise national interest over partisan politics.

Yiaga Africa’s Cynthia Mbamalu warned that reversing earlier electoral reforms amounts to legislative regression.

Editors, Regional Leaders, Legal Experts React
The Nigerian Guild of Editors warned that the Senate’s position risks eroding public trust and discouraging voter participation.

Similarly, the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum described any dilution of the clause as an attack on democracy, insisting Nigerians would resist any attempt to weaken electoral safeguards.

Human rights lawyer and SAN, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, declared electronic transmission “non-negotiable.”

“In a 21st-century democracy, this should not even be up for debate,” he said.

Why Today’s Senate Sitting Matters

At the centre of the controversy is Section 60 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. While the House of Representatives retained mandatory real-time transmission, the Senate opted for discretionary language, relying on the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that electronic transmission was not compulsory under existing law.

With a joint conference committee set to meet this week, today’s emergency plenary is widely seen as a defining moment for Nigeria’s electoral future.

As one protest placard bluntly declared outside the National Assembly:

“Democracy dies when votes are stolen.”