The senate on Tuesday once more failed to wrap up discussions on the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act, following hours spent in a closed-door executive session.
Lawmakers moved into the executive session shortly after plenary began to consider the report of an ad hoc committee established to harmonise senators’ submissions on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The private meeting lasted about five hours.
When plenary reconvened, Senate President Godswill Akpabio did not reveal any details from the deliberations on the bill.
Instead, Akpabio announced burial arrangements for the late Okechukwu Ezea, who represented Enugu north senatorial district before his passing.
No update was given on the outcome of the discussions on the Electoral Act.
The development followed the senate’s decision last week to set up a seven-member ad hoc committee after an earlier three-hour executive session to further examine the proposed amendments.
While announcing the committee, Akpabio said it was “mandated to contribute, galvanise and distil the opinion of senators on the bill”.
He noted that the panel is chaired by Niyi Adegbonmire, chairman of the senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters.
Other members include Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye, and Titus Zam.
Akpabio added that the committee was given a maximum of three days to complete its assignment and report back to the senate.
Although the house of representatives has already passed the bill, Akpabio advised the upper chamber to proceed with caution.
Despite holding multiple executive sessions, the senate has yet to pass the bill, marking the third time in two weeks that deliberations have ended without a decision.
The senate, however, maintained that it would not rush the process, pointing to the high volume of post-election litigation after the 2023 polls and the need for thorough legislative review.
Earlier, Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, said the amendment would greatly enhance electoral credibility and strengthen institutional independence.