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Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday retreated into a prolonged closed-door session as lawmakers intensified internal consultations on the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, delaying open debate on the highly anticipated bill.
The closed session, which had lasted for more than two hours by mid-afternoon, followed renewed scrutiny by senators of the provisions contained in the Electoral Act Amendment Bills currently before the upper chamber.
Last week, the Senate set up a seven-member ad hoc committee to fine-tune the report of its Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.
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The panel, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, was mandated to collate additional inputs from senators ahead of Tuesday’s plenary, when consideration of the bill had been expected to begin.
Consequently, the committee was given 48 hours to complete its assignment and submit its findings to the Senate.
However, when lawmakers reconvened on Tuesday, they again resolved to go into a closed session.
As of about 3.00 pm, senators remained behind closed doors, with deliberations continuing and no indication of when plenary debate on the bill would commence.