Electoral Act Meeting Delayed Over House Absence

The Conference Committee for the Electoral Act has shifted its meeting to the night due to the absence of House representatives, which was initially set for 11 AM. This development comes amid increasing pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the electronic transmission of results for the upcoming general elections on February 20, 2027.

The meeting was rescheduled after no House committee members showed up, despite the presence of Senate committee chairmen Simon Lalong and Adebayo Balogun, who waited for several minutes before reconvening. The Senate committee, including members Jibrin Isah, Abba Moro, and Tahir Monguno, was present but without any House representatives.

The two leaders held a brief closed-door discussion before dispersing without reaching a consensus. The meeting's purpose is to reconcile differences in the bill's clauses, particularly regarding electronic transmission, as the Senate previously approved a version that deleted the phrase "real-time" while the House insists on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of INEC's results.