Nigeria’s Senate has stepped down consideration of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Amendment) Bill 2025 after an extensive debate, saying more consultation and scrutiny are needed before proceeding.
The bill seeks to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and replace it with a new framework aimed at strengthening the country’s electoral system through technology-driven reforms and stricter regulations.
Among its key proposals are the introduction of digital result registers, QR-coded voter identification cards, and tighter timelines for political party primaries and election result transmission.
Leading the debate, Senator Simon Lalong, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the 2023 general elections revealed critical weaknesses in Nigeria’s current electoral law.
He noted that while the 2022 Electoral Act brought significant improvements, it also exposed “delayed release of election funds, disputes over voter registers, conflicting interpretations of result transmission, and weak enforcement of electoral offences.”
“The key objectives of this legislation are to ensure transparency, efficiency, and integrity in our electoral system,” Lalong said. “Nigerians expect us to respond not with patchwork corrections, but with a holistic law that strengthens INEC’s independence and rebuilds trust in the process.”
Lalong explained that the new bill also proposes early release of election funds, continuous voter registration, and stronger safeguards to protect INEC from political interference.
Some senators raised procedural concerns during the debate. Senator Emmanuel Udende from Benue North-East argued that copies of the bill had not been circulated for lawmakers to study in detail.
However, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, clarified that the second reading was meant to discuss general principles, while specific clauses would be examined at the committee stage.
Several lawmakers, including Titus Zam (Benue North-West) and Binos Yaroe (Adamawa), supported the bill, describing it as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
“This is a very ambitious exercise aimed at strengthening our electoral system,” Zam said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged lawmakers to ensure the bill includes provisions to hold INEC accountable for misconduct during elections.
Recalling his experience from the 2019 polls, Akpabio said the wrong people were often punished for electoral offences, stressing that reforms must fix such lapses.
He also proposed a shorter campaign period, arguing that prolonged campaigns disrupt governance. “In a four-year term, government effectiveness suffers when ministers and public officers spend almost a year campaigning,” he said.
Akpabio suggested that senators hold a closed session to further examine the bill and reach a common understanding before moving forward.
Following the debate, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion to defer further consideration of the bill to another legislative day. The motion was seconded by Minority Leader Abba Moro and unanimously adopted.
Bamidele said the pause would give lawmakers time to engage stakeholders and ensure that the legislation reflects “the true aspirations of Nigerians.”
The Senate’s decision means that work on the Electoral Amendment Bill will resume only after broader consultations and possible revisions, a move lawmakers say is essential to building a credible, transparent electoral framework for future elections.