Senate to Conclude Electoral Act Amendment Before December – Bamidele

By Marcus Nkire

The National Assembly says it is on track to conclude the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 before the end of 2025, ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this in a statement from his media office on Tuesday, assuring Nigerians that the process would not suffer delays similar to those experienced before the 2023 polls.

Mr Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said the Committee on Constitution Review is finalising its work and will soon present the proposed amendments to both chambers for approval before transmitting them to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

“Between now and December 2025, we will ensure that the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 is concluded so that it will not be too close to the 2027 elections,” Bamidele said.

He recalled that efforts by the previous assembly to amend the Act were unsuccessful after former President Muhammadu Buhari declined to sign the bill, citing concerns that it was coming “too close to the elections.”

Background and Progress

The ongoing review is part of a broader constitutional reform process chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin. The committee began its work with a retreat in Kano and held zonal public hearings across the six geopolitical zones in July.

On Monday, the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters held another public hearing where stakeholders deliberated on key proposed amendments to the 2022 Act.

Among the major proposals are:

• Flexibility in voter identification: Sections 18 and 47 may be amended to allow other forms of identification — such as National Identification Number (NIN), international passport, or birth certificate — instead of making the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) mandatory for accreditation.
• Mandatory electronic transmission: Section 60(5) could be amended to make the electronic transmission of results compulsory.
• Penalties for electoral misconduct: A new Section 71(2) would criminalise the distribution of unstamped or unsigned ballot papers and result sheets, prescribing a minimum of one-year imprisonment or ₦1 million fine, or both, for offenders.

Governors, Stakeholders Show Support

Mr Bamidele said the amendment process enjoys strong backing from critical stakeholders, including the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, which he said were “meaningfully engaged” to ensure broad consensus.

“The present review will scale through because relevant stakeholders are working with the National Assembly in the overriding public interest,” he said. “In this amendment, global best practices will also be taken into consideration, especially in domesticating international treaties and agreements.”

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the Constitution and Electoral Act have undergone several reviews. The National Assembly has altered the Constitution five times, though many proposed changes failed at the state legislative level.

Despite the huge sums spent on past reviews, lawmakers insist the ongoing exercise is crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, ensuring credible elections, and improving public confidence in the electoral process.