The Senate has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, marking a significant step toward reforming Nigeria’s electoral framework and improving the conduct of elections across the country.
The bill was approved on Wednesday following an extensive deliberation process on the Senate floor. Lawmakers subjected the proposed legislation to a clause-by-clause review after the chamber constituted itself into the Committee of the Whole, allowing for detailed scrutiny of its provisions.
According to the Senate, the amendment is designed to strengthen existing laws governing federal and state elections, as well as polls conducted for area councils in the Federal Capital Territory. The proposed changes are intended to close identified gaps in the current Electoral Act and respond to evolving challenges associated with election management and administration.
Senators who participated in the debate noted that the reforms would enhance transparency, efficiency, and credibility in the electoral process, while also aligning the law with current realities in the country’s democratic system.
Following its passage in the upper chamber, the amended bill will be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence. Upon approval by the lower chamber, the legislation will then be forwarded to the President for assent, after which it would come into effect as law.
