‘National Assembly Will Conclude Electoral Act Amendment Before December’

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has assured Nigerians that the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, 2022, would beryllium concluded connected oregon earlier December 2025, good up of the 2027 wide elections.

Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, made this disclosure successful a connection pursuing President Bola Tinubu’s ceremonial petition for the Senate to corroborate Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) arsenic the caller Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Tinubu’s information of Prof. Amupitan— a Professor of Law— followed the unanimous support of the National Council of State past Wednesday, aft the tenure of erstwhile INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, ended.

In his remarks, Bamidele noted that the National Assembly was committed to ensuring that the amended Electoral Act volition not beryllium passed excessively adjacent to the adjacent wide election, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of 2022.

“Between present and December 2025, we volition guarantee that the amendment of the Electoral Act is concluded truthful that it volition not beryllium excessively adjacent to the 2027 elections,” Bamidele said.

He attributed the past administration’s nonaccomplishment to implicit the amendment process to the precocious transmission of the last mentation of the Electoral Bill to then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The erstwhile medication did not motion the past facet of the Electoral Act successful 2022 due to the fact that it was transmitted to the Presidency late. President Buhari felt it was excessively adjacent to the predetermination and didn’t privation to beryllium misunderstood,” helium added.

Bamidele assured Nigerians that the existent amendment would code each identified gaps, including the disenfranchisement of statutory delegates, and bespeak the evolving realities of Nigeria’s antiauthoritarian journey.

Senator Bamidele, who besides serves arsenic the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee connected Constitution Review, expressed assurance that the ongoing reappraisal of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) would standard through.

He noted that cardinal stakeholders—including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures—were being constructively engaged to guarantee a credible and people-focused law amendment process.

“I bash not envisage immoderate absorption from the presidency. Public institutions are moving hand-in-hand with the National Assembly for the palmy reappraisal of the 1999 Constitution,” Bamidele affirmed.

He besides hinted that planetary champion practices would beryllium adopted, particularly successful areas relating to the domestication of planetary treaties and agreements.

On increasing disapproval from absorption parties, Bamidele described it arsenic expected and political.

“No substance however good a authorities performs, the absorption volition ne'er admit it. They are focused connected reclaiming power, and portion of their strategy is to privation for changeless friction betwixt the enforcement and legislature,” helium said.

However, helium reiterated the ruling enactment and the National Assembly’s committedness to rebuilding Nigeria, stabilising the polity, and increasing the economy.

Looking up to the 3rd legislative twelvemonth of the 10th National Assembly, Bamidele stated that the Senate has a packed docket that includes “Amendment of the 2022 Electoral Act, Review of the 1999 Constitution, Domestication of cardinal planetary conventions, Implementation of economical reforms.”