‘You Are The Social Media Senator’, Akpabio Hits Abaribe Over Electoral Bill Debate

Tension flared on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, traded words during deliberations on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026.

The confrontation unfolded during clause-by-clause consideration of Clause 60, which deals with the electronic transmission of election results. Abaribe, a former minority leader of the Senate, had moved that the Senate adopt electronic transmission as the sole method of transmitting election results without a manual backup option.

When Akpabio called for debate, the chamber quickly grew tense as lawmakers split along party lines. Abaribe then demanded a division (physical voting) to ensure transparency in the process, citing procedural fairness.

Moments later, Akpabio interjected, recalling that Abaribe had previously withdrawn a similar motion. In a remark that drew laughter and jeers across the chamber, the Senate President said, “Distinguished Senator Abaribe, you withdrew your earlier demand. He was attacked on social media.”

The senate president continued, “he has the right, yes. It is an opportunity for him to correct it. So what Senator Abaribe is asking for is that he will like to be seen there on social media. You are the social media Senator.”

The comment immediately drew outrage from opposition benches. Abaribe rose on a point of order, insisting that it was not true. “Mr president, that is not true, I am talking for Nigerians, not for Senator Abaribe, I want Nigerians to know,” he said.

This further drew noise from the Senators.
“Do not distract Senator Abaribe,” the senate president said, “he is on an important national assignment and social media is watching, so now, move your motion .”

Senator Abaribe tackled Akpabio, saying his comments were “unparliamentary and unbecoming of the Senate President.”

Order was eventually restored after several minutes, and Akpabio directed that a division vote be conducted. At the end of the process, 55 senators voted in favour of retaining a manual backup for transmitting election results, while 15 senators, mostly from opposition parties, opposed it.

The clause was adopted, and the Senate later passed the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026 into law, allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically but with a fallback manual provision in case of network failure.