Members of the Joint National Assembly Conference Committee are set to meet on Monday to harmonise the Electoral Amendment Bill passed separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The move is aimed at producing a unified version for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The committee has been given one week to resolve disagreements, especially on provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.
Dispute Over Electronic Transmission
The main disagreement between both chambers centres on how results should be transmitted electronically to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Under legislative procedure, when the Senate and House pass different versions of a bill, a conference committee is constituted to reconcile the differences.
This amendment process follows controversies from the 2023 general elections, particularly INEC’s failure to upload presidential results in real time.
Lawmakers Confirm Monday Meeting
A National Assembly source confirmed that harmonisation would begin on Monday.
“It is taking place on Monday,” the source said.
Former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator Seriake Dickson also hinted that the meeting would likely hold early next week.
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had earlier stated that the harmonised bill would be forwarded to the President before the end of February.
House vs Senate Versions
The House of Representatives approved real-time transmission of results, stating that:
“The Commission shall electronically transmit the results… in real time.”
However, the Senate version allows electronic transmission but provides for manual collation where technology fails.
This compromise was introduced to prevent disputes arising from network failures and technical delays.
Affidavit Requirement for Candidate Withdrawal
The House also strengthened provisions on candidate withdrawal by mandating sworn affidavits.
Under the amended section, candidates must now submit:
- A written notice
- A sworn affidavit
- Personal delivery to their political party
This aims to curb fraudulent withdrawals and impersonation.
Tribunal Timeline Shortened
The House further reduced the timeline for election tribunals.
Under the amendment:
- Judgments must be delivered within 150 days
- Previously, the limit was 180 days
This change is expected to speed up the resolution of election disputes.
Senate Clarifies: No E-Voting Yet
Speaking on ARISE News, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire clarified that electronic transmission does not mean electronic voting.
He said INEC currently lacks the capacity for e-voting.
“IReV is not an e-voting platform. It only displays results that have been manually counted,” he explained.
He warned that misunderstanding the system could fuel unnecessary political tension.
Agbakoba Calls for Mandatory Real-Time Transmission
Former Nigerian Bar Association President Olisa Agbakoba urged lawmakers to make real-time transmission mandatory.
He compared the proposed reforms to the Option A4 system used in the June 12, 1993 election.
“Democracy demands nothing less,” he said.
Agbakoba argued that without explicit legal backing, electronic transmission would remain optional and ineffective.
Public Interest Grows Ahead of 2027 Elections
The fate of the Electoral Amendment Bill has attracted widespread public attention, as Nigerians see it as crucial to restoring confidence in elections ahead of 2027.
Civil society groups and opposition parties continue to press for stronger legal safeguards to prevent manipulation and delays in result declaration.
Conclusion
With the harmonisation meeting expected on Monday, the National Assembly faces pressure to deliver a credible and transparent electoral framework.
The outcome will determine:
- The future role of technology in elections
- Legal certainty around IReV
- Public trust in the voting process
Once harmonised, the bill will be transmitted to President Tinubu for final approval, marking a key step in Nigeria’s electoral reform journey.
