Civil Society Condemns Senate Over Watered-Down Electoral Bill

By Julian Osamoto

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has expressed concern over the Senate’s passage of a watered-down version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, warning that the changes could undermine transparency, credibility, and public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Briefing Journalists in Abuja, Celestine Odo, Co-Convener of the Situation Room, said the Senate’s amendments depart substantially from the progressive reforms agreed by the Joint National Assembly Committees on Electoral Matters, following extensive consultations with stakeholders.

“Of particular concern is the removal of provisions mandating real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV)”.
The coalition described this reform as essential for reducing manipulation, enhancing transparency, and restoring public confidence. “By making the transmission discretionary, the Senate has reopened loopholes that previous reforms were designed to close”.

The CSOs notes that, “The Senate’s decision directly contradicts the House of Representatives, which explicitly approved mandatory real-time transmission, noting that lessons from the 2023 general elections showed that the absence of such transmission contributed to disputes, litigation, and widespread mistrust of election outcomes”.

The Situation Room also condemned the reduction of the Notice of Elections timeline from 360 to 180 days, warning that it would severely constrain voter registration, logistical planning, staff deployment, and voter education. Compressed timelines could also escalate disputes within political parties, trigger pre-election litigation, and destabilize the electoral calendar.

The coalition stressed that these retrogressive amendments were introduced despite sustained civic engagement, including a peaceful protest at the National Assembly on 28 January 2026, urging the Senate to adopt the Bill as agreed by the Joint Committees.

While acknowledging the role of the Conference (Harmonisation) Committee, the Situation Room called on the panel to retain progressive provisions, particularly mandatory electronic transmission and realistic electoral timelines.

They also urged the National Assembly leadership to demonstrate statesmanship by strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.