The Senate has constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to harmonise and distil lawmakers’ inputs on the amendment of the Electoral Act.
The decision followed a three-hour closed-door executive session held on Thursday to further scrutinise the proposed amendments.
Announcing the decision after the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the committee was “mandated to contribute, galvanise and distill the opinion of senators on the bill.
“In no particular order, the committee will be led by Niyi Adegbonmire, chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters,” Akpabio said.
Other members are Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye and Titus Zam.
He added that the committee had a maximum of three days to conclude its work and report back to the Senate by Tuesday.
The Senate had on Wednesday deferred consideration of the report on the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, opting instead for an executive session to allow for deeper scrutiny of the proposed legislation.
The decision followed plenary deliberations on the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, which was presented in the absence of its chairman, Simon Lalong.
Lawmakers agreed to step down debate to give senators more time to study the bill, given its far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s electoral process.
Although the House of Representatives has already passed the bill, Akpabio stressed that the Senate must exercise due diligence.
“This is a very important bill, especially as it is election time. We must take our time to ensure justice is done to all, so that we do not end up at the tribunal,” he said.
According to the committee’s report, a clause-by-clause review shows that the bill would strengthen electoral integrity, enhance transparency and boost public confidence in the electoral system.
The committee recommended the passage of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025, as amended, noting that the reforms would expand voter participation, curb electoral fraud and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele outlined key elements of the proposed amendments, saying the review would significantly improve electoral credibility and institutional independence.
He said the bill introduces stiffer sanctions for offences such as vote-buying, including fines of up to N5 million, a two-year jail term and a 10-year ban from contesting elections.
The proposed law also prescribes tougher penalties for result falsification and obstruction of election officials, introduces electronically generated voter identification, including a downloadable voter card with a unique QR code and mandates electronic transmission of polling unit results.
Bamidele added that the bill recognises the voting rights of prisoners, mandates INEC to register eligible inmates, standardises delegates for indirect party primaries, and requires the release of election funds at least one year before polling day.
According to him, the reforms are aimed at guaranteeing credible, transparent and secure elections beginning with the 2027 general polls, subject to approval by at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly, in line with constitutional requirements.
“At the end of it all, good governance, enhanced security and the welfare of our constituents shall remain our cardinal objectives,” Bamidele said.
