The much-anticipated harmonisation meeting of the Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, ended in deadlock on Monday, as members failed to formally sit or reach any conclusion ahead of Tuesday’s crucial plenary session.
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Our correspondent gathered that despite being scheduled for 11:00 am at the Senate President Conference Room 3.01, the meeting was not held as planned due to the absence of key members, particularly from the House of Representatives.
A highly placed member of the committee told our correspondent bluntly, “How can there be a conclusion when the meeting failed to hold?”
The lawmaker declined further comments before walking away.
Our correspondent observed that some Senators arrived at the venue at the scheduled time of 11:00 am and waited. However, both Chairmen of the Electoral Committees, Senator Simon Bako Lalong for the Senate and Hon. Adebayo Balogun for the House, were initially absent.
No House members were present at the venue at that time.
After waiting for several minutes, the Senators moved to Senator Lalong’s office. About 20 minutes later, they reconvened and agreed to reschedule the meeting to 3:00 pm.
By 3:30 pm, some Senators, including Jibrin Isah, Abba Moro and Tahir Monguno, were seated, but once again, no House members were present.
At about 4:00 pm, Senator Lalong arrived, and later Hon. Balogun joined him, still without other House committee members.
The two leaders briefly entered a closed-door discussion lasting about 10 minutes before dispersing, effectively ending the day without any harmonised position.
Sources hinted that a nocturnal meeting may be convened later tonight outside the National Assembly complex in a last-minute effort to align positions before Tuesday’s plenary.
According to the final harmonisation matrix exclusively obtained by Daily Sun, the committee is expected to reconcile differences on 20 clauses, as well as the explanatory memorandum and the long title of the bill.
The most contentious remains Clause 60(3), which addresses the electronic transmission of election results.
The House of Representatives had earlier passed a version mandating real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV portal.
However, on February 4, 2026, the Senate amended the clause by removing the words “real-time,” opting instead for a flexible framework that retains electronic transmission but allows discretion in implementation.
The Senate’s position has sparked widespread protests, including the #OccupyNASS demonstration in Abuja, and warnings from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of possible nationwide industrial action if real-time uploads are not entrenched in the final law.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, had earlier defended the chamber’s position, stating, “We don’t do something that we just wake up, on impulse… You have to be very thorough…
“It must be so painstakingly done that the flaws… don’t repudiate whatever trust Nigerians have in our system.”
To resolve the differences, both chambers constituted 12-member Conference Committees, a constitutional requirement before final passage and transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The Senate delegation, appointed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong and includes Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, Adamu Aliero, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Aminu Iya Abbas, Tokunbo Abiru, Niyi Adegbonmire, Ipalibo Banigo and Onyekachi Nwebonyi, among others.
The House counterpart, chaired by Hon. Balogun, includes Reps Fred Agbedi, Sada Soli, Ahmadu Jaha, Iduma Igariwey Enwo, Saidu Musa Abdullahi and Dr Zainab Gimba.
Meanwhile, the Senate has formally notified members of its plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 11:00 am at the Senate Chamber.
The notice, signed by Emmanuel Odo, Clerk of the Senate, indicated that “very crucial decisions will be taken on National issues during the Session.”
With the harmonisation committee yet to conclude its assignment and public pressure mounting ahead of the 2027 general elections, all eyes are now on Tuesday’s plenary, where lawmakers are expected to determine whether the final Electoral Act will mandate real-time electronic transmission of results or adopt the Senate’s flexible alternative.
For now, Monday’s failed meeting has only deepened suspense in what has become one of the most politically charged legislative battles in recent times.
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