SENATE STALLS ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENT AFTER HOURS-LONG CLOSED-DOOR SESSION

SENATE STALLS ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENT AFTER HOURS-LONG CLOSED-DOOR SESSION


The Nigerian Senate has once again failed to conclude deliberations on the long-anticipated Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill after an extended closed-door session that ended without a clear decision on the proposed reforms.

Lawmakers spent more than four hours in an executive session on Tuesday, reviewing the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong, alongside submissions from a seven-member ad hoc committee set up to resolve contentious provisions in the bill.

However, when plenary resumed at about 5:35 p.m., no details of the discussions or resolutions reached during the executive session were disclosed. This left the fate of the bill uncertain for the second consecutive sitting.

The closed-door deliberations began shortly after 1:05 p.m. following a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, requesting the Senate to dissolve into a Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration of the committee’s report.

Although the report of the ad hoc committee, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), was listed on the Order Paper for presentation and final consideration, senators opted to debate the matter privately.

Upon the resumption of plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave a brief and non-specific summary of the session.

“At the executive session, the Senate deliberated on matters relating to the working of the Senate in particular and the nation in general,” Akpabio stated, before asking lawmakers to affirm the description.

The chamber responded in the affirmative, after which the item was closed without further explanation.

Moments later, Senator Bamidele moved a motion to adjourn plenary until Wednesday, without indicating whether the bill had progressed to third reading or when it would be returned for final passage.

The repeated delay has intensified uncertainty around the amendment bill, which is widely viewed as critical to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The proposed amendments seek to address gaps identified in recent elections, reduce electoral malpractice, and enhance public confidence in the democratic process.

Key recommendations before the Senate include mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, stiffer penalties for electoral offences such as result manipulation and ballot box snatching, and updated provisions reflecting technological advancements.

Among the proposed safeguards is a clause that would criminalise the failure of presiding officers to sign and stamp ballot papers and officially declared election results.

The committee also recommended replacing references to the “smart card reader” with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in Sections 47(2) and (3) of the Act.

To protect vulnerable voters, amendments to Section 54(1) would prohibit political party agents, candidates, or their officials from accompanying visually impaired or incapacitated voters into voting cubicles.

The latest development comes days after the Senate raised expectations by inaugurating a seven-member ad hoc committee mandated to harmonise lawmakers’ positions and resolve outstanding issues in the bill.

The committee was constituted following another closed-door session last week, during which the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill underwent further scrutiny.

Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, Labour Party, and New Nigeria People’s Party, have criticised what they describe as a lack of urgency by the National Assembly in amending the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 polls.

The parties warned that prolonged delays could weaken public trust in the electoral process and undermine the credibility of future elections.

Despite the concerns, the Senate maintains that the ad hoc committee will fast-track the process as lawmakers intensify efforts to conclude work on the bill in the coming days.












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