Abuja: The Senate on Thursday decided to delay further consideration of a bill aimed at repealing the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022, and enacting the Electoral Act 2025. This decision came after the Senate adopted a motion proposed by Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), and seconded by Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) during a plenary session.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele expressed that the current timing was not appropriate for the Senate to proceed into an executive session to discuss the bill. He emphasized the necessity for further consultations before advancing with the bill, highlighting the importance for lawmakers to fully grasp the general principles and specifics of the legislation. Consequently, a motion was made to postpone further consideration to a future legislative date.
Before the bill’s postponement, Sen. Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau), Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, presented the general principles of the bill. He described it as a comprehensive reform, not merely an amendment, intended to provide Nigeria with a more credible and inclusive electoral framework. Lalong noted that while the Electoral Act 2022 introduced significant innovations, it also revealed substantial flaws in the country’s electoral system, including issues like delays in election fund releases, disputes over voter registers, and widespread litigations.
Lalong emphasized that Nigerians expect the Senate to address these challenges with a holistic law to restore faith in the electoral process. The bill aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and integrity by ensuring free and fair competition among political parties and reducing electoral malpractices with stricter punitive measures. Additionally, it seeks to strengthen INEC’s independence by insulating it from unnecessary interference.
The proposed legislation also includes provisions for continuous voter registration, the introduction of digital registers, QR codes, voter IDs, and improved procedures for electronic result transmission. It sets clearer rules and timelines for party primaries and candidate nominations. Lalong stated that the bill is crucial for strengthening democracy, restoring public trust, reducing post-election disputes, and empowering INEC to function independently.