Nigeria’s Senate has amended the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to shorten the statutory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days, effectively giving the Independent National Electoral Commission an extra 60 days to adjust its timetable and avoid a clash with Ramadan.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said lawmakers reconvened mainly to revise the relevant sections of the bill so the electoral body can review its schedule.
INEC had earlier fixed February 20 for presidential and National Assembly elections and March 6 for governorship and state assembly polls, dates that raised concerns about a possible overlap with the fasting period.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters Simon Lalong said the commission did not deliberately create the scheduling conflict, noting that the framework for the timetable predated the current leadership.
Debate during plenary later shifted to Clause 60 of the bill, which deals with transmission of results.
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe argued for mandatory real time electronic transmission to strengthen transparency and public trust.
After a closed door session, the Senate voted to retain a proviso that allows manual transmission where electronic networks fail.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the decision ensures elections can proceed even if technology encounters problems.
