The Senate on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill following a five-hour clause-by-clause consideration.

The bill, which was the only item on the order paper after a valedictory session in honour of the late Okey Ezea, was approved by the Committee of the Whole after lawmakers considered and adopted its 155 clauses.

While the majority of the provisions were retained as originally proposed, senators amended some sections of the bill. One of the key changes reduced the period within which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.

The Senate also rejected the provision for real-time transmission of election results, retaining instead the clause that allows electronic transfer of results as stipulated in the 2002 Electoral Act.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives will harmonise the bill before transmitting it to President Bola Tinubu for assent.