2027 Electoral Act Amendment suffers set back in Senate

As Akpabio laments alleged injustice successful 2019

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- PLANS to statesman the process for the information and imaginable support of bid of amendments proposals connected the 2022 Electoral Act has suffered a acceptable backmost successful Senate.

Process for information and transition of the measure connected the Electoral Act Amendments was already connected aft the Chairman of the Senate Committee connected Electoral Matters , Senator Simon Lalong ( Plateau South), work a pb statement connected it.

It is titled A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act, No. 13, 2022 and Enact the Electoral Bill, 2025 to modulate the behaviour of Federal, State and Area Councils successful the Federal Capital Territory elections; and for related matters, (SB. 903).

Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has lamented implicit alleged injustice meted to him during the 2019 wide predetermination with attendant jailing of the returning serviceman for Akwa Ibom West Senatorial District , Professor Peter Ogban alternatively of the past Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini .

In his presumption of the pb statement connected the wide principles of the bill, Senator Lalong who noted the measure which was laid for First Reading connected 8 October, 2025, is not a specified amendment, but a broad betterment – a repeal and enactment, intended to supply Nigeria with a stronger, much credible, and much inclusive electoral framework.

Lalong said, “the 2023 wide elections tested our ideology successful profound ways. While the Electoral Act, 2022 delivered immoderate landmark innovations, it besides exposed heavy flaws of our country’s electoral strategy with captious gaps -delays successful the merchandise of predetermination funds, disputes implicit the elector register, conflicting interpretations of effect transniission, wide litigation from enactment primaries, and anemic enforcement of electoral offences. Nigerians expect america to respond not with patchwork corrections, but with a holistic, future-facing instrumentality that restores religion successful our elections.”

On the cardinal objectives of the projected legislation, Senator Lalong said, “To bring astir betterment successful the electoral process by ensuring transparency, ratio and integrity of the electoral system.

“To guarantee determination is escaped and just competitions wherever each governmental parties are fixed adjacent opportunities to vie favorably successful elections. To guarantee that outcomes of elections bespeak the volition of the people.

“To trim electoral malpractices by mounting stricter punitive measures to service arsenic deterrence to electoral malpractices. To heighten voters’ assurance and information successful the elections, thereby reducing voters’ apathy.

“To further fortify the independency of INEC by insulating it from incessant and unnecessary interference from the authorities and governmental parties, etc.

“This Bill applies crossed the afloat spectrum of our electoral process. It strengthens the organization independency of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by mandating aboriginal merchandise of funds and clearer tenure protections for Resident Electoral Commissioners. It mandates continuous elector registration. It introduces integer registers of results, QR-code elector IDs, and much robust procedures for physics transmission of results. It sets stricter timelines and clearer rules for enactment primaries, campaigner nomination, and replacement successful cases of decease oregon withdrawal. It reviews run concern ceilings and enhances disclosure requirements. Most importantly, it imposes tougher penalties for electoral offences, from ballot buying to mendacious effect declarations.

“This Bill is astir much than Election Day. It is astir strengthening the precise instauration of our democracy. If we get it right, we volition reconstruct nationalist trust, trim post-election disputes, and empower INEC to relation without interference. If we falter, we hazard perpetuating a rhythm of contested elections, judicial overload, and declining elector confidence.

“To guarantee determination is escaped and just competitions wherever each governmental parties are fixed adjacent opportunities to vie favo...