ABUJA — The Hallowed Chambers of the Nigerian Senate was transformed into a theater of high-stakes political drama on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) stood his ground against Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a fierce battle over the future of Nigeria’s elections.
The confrontation, which brought the proceedings to a temporary standstill, erupted during the final consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026. At the heart of the storm was the controversial Clause 60, which governs the electronic transmission of election results.
The “Withdrawal” That Wasn’t
The sparks began to fly when Senate President Akpabio attempted to gavel through a version of the bill that retains “manual collation” as a backup when technology fails. Claiming that Abaribe had earlier dropped his opposition, Akpabio moved to finalize the clause.
Abaribe, visibly incensed, shot up from his seat, waving the rule book. “I did not withdraw my objection!” he thundered, his voice echoing through the chamber. “Mr. President, I rise under Order 72(1). I am demanding a formal division. Let every Senator stand up and let Nigerians see exactly where they stand on the issue of electronic transmission.”
The Great Divide: 55 vs. 15
After a tense standoff and a brief, hushed consultation among the principal officers, Akpabio was forced to sustain the point of order. In a rare “recorded vote,” Senators were asked to stand to indicate their support or opposition to the “manual backup” loophole.
- The Status Quo Wins: When the dust settled, 55 Senators (mostly of the ruling APC) voted to keep the manual fallback, arguing that “network blind spots” in rural Nigeria make total electronic transmission impossible.
- The Reformers Fall Short: Only 15 Senators, led by Abaribe and other opposition members, voted for mandatory, real-time electronic transmission without any manual exceptions.
“They Are Preparing the Rig”—Nigerians Explode in Anger
While Akpabio praised the session as a “display of democracy in action,” the reaction from the Nigerian public has been nothing short of volcanic. Across social media and in the streets of Abuja, the 55-15 vote is being viewed as a “legislative funeral” for electoral integrity.
- “The Manual Loophole”: “If they can’t transmit results electronically in 2026, then they are already writing the results for 2027,” tweeted a prominent civil society activist. “We have network for BetNaija and bank transfers in the bush, but suddenly no network for our votes? It’s a scam.”
- “Rubber Stamp Leadership”: Critics have blasted the Senate President, accusing him of “bullying” the minority to satisfy the Aso Rock powers. “Akpabio tried to lie that Abaribe withdrew his objection. Thank God for Abaribe’s courage, or they would have sneaked this through in the dark,” another resident noted.
- The “Ramadan” Irony: Many Nigerians noted the hypocrisy of the Senate holding an “emergency” to fix the 2027 election dates over Ramadan concerns while lacking the same urgency for transparency. “They care about our fasting but they don’t care about our choice,” a Facebook user wrote.
A Bill in the Balance
Despite the protest, the Bill has now been passed and moves to a Joint Conference Committee to reconcile it with the House of Representatives’ version. The House has historically pushed for a stronger, mandatory electronic system, setting the stage for a final showdown before the Bill reaches President Bola Tinubu’s desk.
For Abaribe and the “Skeptical 15,” the battle may have been lost on the floor today, but for millions of Nigerians watching from home, the “division” has clearly marked who is for the people and who is for the “system.”
