Nigeria’s Senate is set to resume deliberations on the long-delayed Electoral Act amendment bill on Tuesday, as public frustration mounts over what critics say are avoidable delays that could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Senate leaders say the upper chamber plans to conclude work on the bill and transmit it within days, following the inauguration of a seven-member ad hoc committee tasked with harmonising senators’ positions and resolving contentious provisions in the proposed legislation.
The committee was constituted last Thursday after a three-hour closed-door executive session in which lawmakers subjected the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill to further scrutiny. Given three days to complete its work, the joint committee is expected to submit its report on Tuesday.
Announcing the move, the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, said the panel was established to synthesise lawmakers’ views and address concerns raised during plenary debates. The committee is chaired by Niyi Adegbonmire, head of the Senate committee on judiciary, human rights, and legal matters, and includes Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye and Titus Zam.
Akpabio said the tight deadline would allow the Senate to resume consideration of the bill without further delay, even as he stressed the need for due diligence despite the House of Representatives having already passed the legislation.
“This is a very important bill, especially as it is election time,” he told senators. “We must take our time to ensure justice is done to all so that we do not end up at the tribunal.”
According to the Senate committee on electoral matters, a clause-by-clause review of the bill showed that the proposed amendments would strengthen electoral integrity, improve transparency and boost public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. The committee recommended the passage of the bill, arguing that the reforms would expand voter participation, curb malpractice and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier, the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, outlined the bill’s key provisions, describing it as a significant step towards restoring electoral credibility and protecting institutional independence. He said the amendments proposed stiffer sanctions for electoral offences such as vote-buying, including fines of up to N5m, jail terms of up to two years and a 10-year ban from contesting elections.
Other measures include tougher penalties for result falsification and obstruction of election officials, the introduction of electronically generated voter identification — including a downloadable voter card with a unique QR code — and the mandatory electronic transmission of polling unit results.
Bamidele added that the bill would recognise the voting rights of inmates, require INEC to register eligible prisoners, standardise delegates for indirect party primaries and mandate the release of election funds at least one year before polling day. If passed, the reforms would take effect from the 2027 general elections, subject to approval by at least two-thirds of state houses of assembly in line with constitutional requirements.
The renewed push comes amid sustained criticism from legal experts, opposition parties and civil society groups, who accuse the National Assembly of dragging its feet on reforms long regarded as essential.
The senior advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer Femi Falana last week accused lawmakers of deliberately postponing passage of the bill, warning that the delays could damage public trust in the 2027 polls. Speaking on Arise News, Falana criticised the Senate’s decision to set up another committee to review legislation already passed by the House of Representatives in December 2025.
“From the conduct of both chambers, it is clear that the members simply want the status quo retained,” Falana said. He described the latest round of reviews as “rigmarole” designed to create the impression of progress while leaving critical reforms in limbo.
Falana argued that provisions on electronic transmission of results, tougher penalties for vote-buying, voting rights for inmates and sanctions against financially induced delegates address long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s electoral framework. He also recalled that recommendations for an electoral offences commission, first made in 2008, remain unimplemented.
“In the last election, we witnessed a national disgrace when three leading presidential candidates claimed victory,” he said. “That petition lasted 10 months. Why should it take two years to put these provisions into law?”
Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party, have echoed these concerns, warning that further delays could erode public confidence and threaten the legitimacy of the 2027 elections.
Despite the criticism, Senate leaders insist the newly constituted committee will fast-track the process, as lawmakers intensify efforts to bring the long-running debate over Nigeria’s electoral reforms to a close.
