“You’ll Hear From Us Soon” — Sen Kalu Confirms N’Assembly Meeting on Electoral Act Amendment

Senator Orji Kalu has confirmed that the National Assembly committee working on the amendment of the Electoral Act is meeting to conclude its work on the bill.

The lawmaker said Nigerians should expect an update soon as discussions have reached an advanced stage.

Kalu disclosed this during a television interview on Tuesday, where he explained that lawmakers suspended other legislative duties to concentrate fully on the Electoral Act process.

According to him, the harmonisation committee has already begun reconciling differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives versions of the bill.

“Regarding the feedback from Nigerians about the Electoral Act amendment, I can tell you it is on track. We had an emergency sitting last week, and we are having another one today. We were originally supposed to resume on the 24th, possibly for budget hearings, but we have paused them to focus on the Electoral Committee,” the Abia North senator said.

He added that the work has been intense and time-consuming, noting that members spent several hours deliberating on the bill.

“I am a member of the Joint Harmonisation Committee. I was in the office from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. When it was suggested we go to the Senate President’s house to harmonise our decision, I declined because I needed to eat and rest after a long day at the National Assembly. The harmonisation process has officially started, and you will hear from us soon.”

The comments come days after the Senate set up a 12-member committee to work with the House of Representatives on aligning their positions on the Electoral Act amendment.

The committee was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during an emergency plenary session.

The latest move follows widespread debate over how election results should be transmitted from polling units.

The Senate had approved electronic transmission of results but removed the phrase “real-time” from Clause 60(3) of the amended law. This decision allows manual collation if technical problems occur during transmission.

In contrast, the House of Representatives retained a provision that supports real-time upload of results directly from polling units to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Lawmakers said the difference in positions must be resolved before the bill can be forwarded for final consideration.

Political observers say the outcome of the harmonisation process will determine the credibility of future elections and public confidence in the electoral system.

Kalu spoke during an interview on Sunrise Daily, where he insisted that the National Assembly is committed to producing a law that reflects national interest and technical realities.