Anxiety gripped the National Assembly corridors on Monday night as uncertainty surrounded the scheduled meeting of members of the Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026.
The committee, constituted by both the Senate of Nigeria and the House of Representatives, is tasked with harmonising differences in 20 contentious clauses of the proposed legislation. The bill, which seeks to repeal and re-enact the existing Electoral Act, has already been passed separately by both chambers but requires alignment of conflicting provisions before transmission for presidential assent.
As at press time, however, the lawmakers saddled with the responsibility of smoothing the rough edges had yet to formally meet to reconcile the disputed sections.
A reliable source disclosed that the scheduled session could not hold as planned due to the absence of key members of the House of Representatives delegation to the committee. The development reportedly stalled deliberations, heightening concerns over possible delays in concluding work on the critical electoral reform bill.
According to the source, while members of the Senate team were said to be ready for engagement, the absence of some principal officers from the House side made it impracticable to proceed with the harmonisation exercise.
The 20 contentious clauses are believed to touch on sensitive issues that could significantly shape the conduct of future elections, including timelines, powers of the electoral umpire, dispute resolution mechanisms, and technological innovations in the voting process.
Observers say the delay has fuelled speculation about behind-the-scenes negotiations and political calculations, given the far-reaching implications of the bill ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference Committee is expected to produce a harmonised version of the bill, which must then be adopted by both chambers before being forwarded to the President for assent.
Political stakeholders and civil society groups have called for transparency and urgency in resolving the outstanding issues, stressing that timely electoral reforms are essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
As the nation watches closely, attention now shifts to when the committee will reconvene and whether consensus can be reached swiftly on the disputed provisions to avoid unnecessary delays in the reform process.
