The Senate on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act amendment bill following a five-hour, clause-by-clause deliberation.
The bill was the sole item on the order paper after a valedictory session held in honour of the late Okey Ezea. It was subsequently approved by the Committee of the Whole after consideration and adoption of its 155 clauses.
While lawmakers amended some provisions of the bill, the majority of the clauses were retained as originally proposed.
One of the key amendments reduced the timeframe for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.
The Senate also rejected the provision for real-time transmission of election results, but retained the clause allowing for electronic transmission of results, as stipulated in the 2002 Electoral Act.
