NASS to resume February 17 over as Electoral Act Bill

The National Assembly is set to resume plenary sittings on Tuesday, February 17, with strong indications that lawmakers may consider the long-awaited Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Clerk to the National Assembly of Nigeria, Kamoru Ogunlana, notified members that “the Senate and the House of Representatives will reconvene plenary sessions at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 17th February 2026,” and urged lawmakers to make adjustments to ensure full attendance.

He added, “Both Chambers are expected to deliberate and take crucial decisions during the session.”

Although the statement did not clearly state the main agenda for the sitting, political observers believe the timing suggests that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill could be brought forward for debate and possible passage.

A separate notice from the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, indicated that the directive came from the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The notice stated: “All Distinguished Senators are kindly requested to note and reschedule their engagements accordingly to enable them attend, as very crucial decisions will be taken on national issues during the session.”

The House of Representatives, whose spokesman, Rep. Akin Rotimi, confirmed the resumption, noted that the emergency sitting follows the release of the 2027 general election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Originally, the Senate was scheduled to resume on February 24 following a short recess for committee oversight on the 2026 budget, while the House had planned to reconvene on February 17.

The coordinated resumption underscores the urgency of addressing electoral legislation ahead of the next general elections.

“The House of Representatives will reconvene for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to review matters arising from the recent announcement of the 2027 General Election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement said.

It added that the sitting was necessitated by “the constitutional and national significance of the development and the need for timely legislative consideration,” stressing that “deliberations will focus on relevant legislative matters connected to the announcement, in line with the constitutional responsibilities of the National Assembly.”

“All legislative business relating to the matter is expected to be addressed expeditiously,” the House said, urging members to prioritise attendance.

According to reports, the conference committee on the Electoral Act Bill set up by both chambers may meet on Monday.

The session, sources said, is expected to consider and pass the committee’s report, which is to be laid before both chambers by the leadership of the conference committees.

Responding to a question from one of our correspondents, a top official of the National Assembly bureaucracy who spoke in confidence said: “It is expected that they (House and Senate) should reconvene so that they would be able to consider and pass the harmonised report of the conference committee on the Electoral Act Bill, after which it would be transmitted to the President for assent.”

The Senate President, Senator Akpabio, had earlier said the National Assembly was working within a tight timeline to transmit the harmonised Electoral Act Amendment Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He said the legislature intended to conclude work on the bill expeditiously after harmonisation by the conference committee, to allow the President sufficient time to consider and assent to the legislation before the next electoral cycle gathers momentum.

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