Confusion trailed the meeting of the Conference Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026, as members of the House reportedly failed to show up, forcing a last-minute rescheduling of the session to late night. The development comes amid mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), just 368 days to the February 20, 2027 general elections, to guarantee seamless and credible electronic transmission of results.
Vanguard gathered that the joint committee meeting, scheduled for 11:00 am, could not hold due to the absence of key House of Representatives members. Some senators reportedly arrived on time and waited in vain, while only the chairmen of the Senate and House electoral committees were present. After several failed attempts to reconvene, including another scheduled meeting by mid-afternoon, the day ended without any harmonised position, prompting a night meeting at the Senate President’s Lodge in Maitama to salvage the process ahead of today’s plenary.
The harmonisation committee is expected to reconcile differences on about 20 clauses of the bill, with Clause 60(3), which relates to the electronic transmission of election results, remaining the most contentious. While the House of Representatives has passed provisions making electronic transmission mandatory, the Senate has expressed reservations, citing concerns about inadequate telecommunications infrastructure and persistent power grid failures that could disenfranchise voters.
The renewed debate mirrors arguments ahead of the 2023 elections, when lawmakers questioned Nigeria’s readiness for electronic transmission. At the time, officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission told the National Assembly that less than half of polling units had adequate network coverage. Telecom operators, however, strongly disagreed, insisting that even 2G networks were sufficient for result transmission.
Five years later, the controversy has resurfaced, despite significant improvements in telecom infrastructure. Operators argue that investments in broadband expansion, fibre deployment, and 4G and 5G networks have strengthened nationwide coverage, making real-time electronic transmission feasible. They accuse lawmakers of relying on outdated data and half-truths rather than current industry realities.
Memories of the 2023 presidential election remain fresh, especially delays in uploading results to INEC’s Result Viewing portal, which fueled public suspicion and prolonged legal battles. Although the Supreme Court later ruled that failure to upload results to the portal was not sufficient grounds to nullify the election, the damage to public trust lingered.
As 2027 approaches, analysts say INEC faces a credibility test. Stakeholders are calling for legal clarity, infrastructure upgrades, nationwide stress testing, improved staff training, and transparent communication to restore confidence. Many argue that beyond technology, trust remains the biggest challenge, warning that failure to address lingering doubts could reopen old wounds in Nigeria’s electoral process.
