Electoral Act Amendment: Akpabio Says Critics Are Judging Senate Too Early

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that critics of the National Assembly are misjudging lawmakers over the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that the process is not yet complete.

Akpabio clarified that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of election results from the proposed amendment. According to him, lawmakers only raised concerns about making real-time electronic transmission mandatory, not about electronic transmission itself.

He made this known in Abuja while speaking as the special guest of honour at the unveiling of a book titled The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, written by Senator Effiong Bob. Akpabio explained that the Senate is still reviewing the bill and has not reached a final decision.

His comments followed widespread criticism from opposition parties and other stakeholders after reports suggested that the Senate had rejected mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also reacted, urging the Senate to clearly include compulsory electronic transmission in the amended law.

In a statement shared on X, the NBA warned that retaining the current wording of the Electoral Act—which allows results to be transmitted “in a manner prescribed by the Commission”—could weaken transparency and create room for manipulation.

Responding to these concerns, Akpabio said the public debate was premature. He stressed that the Electoral Act amendment is still a work in progress and has not been finalized by the Senate.

According to him, many critics do not fully understand the lawmaking process, noting that no bill is considered complete until it is fully examined and reflected in the Senate’s Votes and Proceedings.