The Senate on Tuesday maintained silence on deliberations surrounding the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act after a closed-door executive session that lasted about five hours.
Lawmakers went into the executive session at about 1pm, shortly after plenary commenced, to consider the report of an ad hoc committee constituted last week to harmonise and distil senators’ inputs on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
However, when the session ended, Senate President Godswill Akpabio declined to comment on the issue in the open session on the outcome of the discussions relating to the Electoral Act.
Instead, Akpabio used the opportunity to announce burial arrangements for the late Okechukwu Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District until his death.
Details of the deliberations on the Electoral Act were not disclosed.
The closed-door session followed the Senate’s decision last Thursday to constitute a seven-member ad hoc committee after an earlier three-hour executive session held to further scrutinise the proposed amendments to the electoral law.
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Announcing the constitution of the committee at the time, Akpabio said it was “mandated to contribute, galvanise and distil 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 had said.
Other members of the committee include Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye and Titus Zam.
Akpabio had added that the committee was given a maximum of three days to conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate.
The Senate had earlier deferred consideration of the report on the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, opting instead for executive sessions to allow for deeper scrutiny of the proposed legislation.
That 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 on the bill to give senators more time to study its provisions, citing its far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s electoral process.
Although the House of Representatives has already passed the bill, Akpabio had stressed the need for caution by the upper chamber.
“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 is designed to 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 proposed 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 had 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 ₦5 million, a two-year jail term and a 10-year ban from contesting elections.
The proposed legislation 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 elections, 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.
