Senate Passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill for Further Legislative Action

The Senate on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2025 for further legislative action after a majority of lawmakers supported it through a voice vote.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the passage during plenary and referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further deliberation and a public hearing. The committee was directed to report back within two weeks.

Sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), who chairs the Electoral Matters Committee, the bill aims to strengthen the legal framework governing elections in Nigeria and enhance the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The bill was first presented for second reading last Thursday but was stepped down to allow for wider consultation. It was reintroduced during Wednesday’s session, where senators extensively debated its general principles.

While presenting the bill, Lalong noted that the Electoral Act 2022 brought significant reforms but also exposed weaknesses, including delays in the release of election funds, disputes over voter registers, conflicting interpretations of result transmission, and weak enforcement of electoral offences.

He said the amendment seeks to insulate INEC from political interference and improve its operational efficiency.

During the debate, several lawmakers argued that the current law unfairly places the burden of proof on election petitioners, proposing instead that INEC, as the body that conducted the election, should demonstrate that the process was free, fair, and credible.

They also called for greater funding and technological adoption to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral integrity.

In his remarks, Akpabio commended the progress in Nigeria’s elections since 2015 but noted that more reforms were needed to ensure full transparency and public confidence.

“Elections have improved in the country since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) left power. We have made progress, but we are not yet there,” Akpabio said.