Senator Ndume Confronts Akpabio Over Electoral Bill Committee Shake-Up
The Nigerian Senate witnessed a tense moment on Wednesday as Senator Ali Ndume stood up to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the composition of the committee handling the harmonisation of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
The drama unfolded during the Senate’s proceedings following the passage of the bill, which seeks to amend Nigeria’s electoral laws ahead of the 2027 general elections. The amendments include a reduction in the notice period for elections from 360 days to 180 days and a retention of provisions for electronic transmission of results, although proposals for real-time uploads from polling units were rejected. The tension arose when Akpabio announced a new list of senators to serve on the conference committee tasked with reconciling differences between the Senate and House of Representatives versions of the bill. Ndume objected to the exclusion of key senators, including Senator Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, and Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. Speaking on the floor, Ndume argued that removing Lalong from the committee was inappropriate, emphasizing the senator’s role in leading the initial work on the bill. “It is not done that way. We have a tradition here… why should you drop Senator Lalong for another person when he was the chairman of the committee who did the work?” he stated. Following Ndume’s intervention and objections from other senators, Akpabio agreed to include Lalong and Adegbonmire in the committee. The reshuffle was seen as a compromise to maintain procedural norms and ensure continuity in the legislative process. Political analysts have described the incident as a reflection of ongoing power dynamics within the APC-led Senate, noting Ndume’s history of standing independently on key issues. The senator was previously removed from his position as Senate Chief Whip in 2024, a move widely interpreted as part of tensions with the current Senate leadership.
