Abuja, Nigeria — The Senate has appointed 12 members to constitute a conference committee with the House of Representatives on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, following sustained nationwide protests under the #OccupyNASS movement.
The decision comes amid widespread public outrage over the National Assembly’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026, particularly the controversial removal of provisions mandating the real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units.
Protests against the amendment entered their second day on Tuesday, as civil society organisations, youth groups, pro-democracy activists, and opposition figures — including former presidential candidate Peter Obi and activist Omoyele Sowore — besieged the National Assembly complex in Abuja. Demonstrations were also reported in several states across the country.
Protesters accuse lawmakers of attempting to weaken electoral transparency and roll back democratic gains achieved through the use of technology in elections, especially ahead of future polls.
Announcing the development during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the composition of the 12-member Senate committee. The panel is tasked with harmonising differences between the Senate and House versions of the amendment bill before it is transmitted to the President for assent.
Under the #OccupyNASS banner, demonstrators insist that the amendment undermines the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process and reverses progress made since the introduction of electronic result transmission. They have demanded the immediate reinstatement of the real-time transmission clause, warning that failure to do so could significantly erode public trust in future elections.
Although Senate leadership has repeatedly assured Nigerians that the amendment is not intended to undermine democracy, critics argue that both the timing and substance of the bill raise serious concerns about the integrity of upcoming electoral processes.