Electoral Act Amendment: Again, Senate defers consideration of report

By Haruna Salami

For the umpteenth time, the Senate has shifted the consideration of the report of its Committee on Electoral Matters on the Electoral Act 2022 amendment bill.
The report, which was scheduled for consideration Wednesday January 28, 2026 was not taken, even though the report was already distributed to the senators.
The Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) quickly moved a motion that the report be considered the next legislative day (Thursday January 29, 2026), but advised senators be allowed to go home with the report to go through before consideration.
On Thursday, the Report of the Committee was listed as expected for the Senate to “Receive and Consider the Report of the Committee on Electoral Matters on the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 903)”.
When the matter came up Thursday, the Senate went into a closed session to iron out the grey areas which took about 3 hours.
However, when the Senate resumed plenary, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio simply said “on the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, the Senate has set up a small committee to further make contributions, galvanize, distill all the opinions of distinguished senators and present them to us for final deliberation on Tuesday”.
He said the committee, in no particular order of ranking, has chosen, for technical reasons, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, Senator Niyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), as chairman”.
He said the Senate has also included very ranking senators as members. They are Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Adams Oshimhohle (Edo North), Mohammed Goje (Gombe Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) and Taitus Zam (Benue North West).