Senate Passes Electoral Bill After Approving 155 Clauses.
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Amendment Bill after a clause-by-clause consideration and approval of 155 clauses, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s ongoing electoral reform process.
The bill was passed following the adoption of the report of the Committee on Electoral Matters during plenary. While the majority of the clauses were retained as originally proposed, lawmakers introduced amendments to some key provisions.
One of the major changes approved by the upper chamber was the reduction of the timeline for the publication of a notice of election by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The Senate amended the provision to shorten the period from 360 days to 180 days before the date of an election, a move lawmakers said would streamline the electoral timetable and reduce unnecessary delays.
However, the Senate rejected proposals seeking to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units directly to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision contained in Clause 60 of the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows election results to be transmitted in a manner prescribed by INEC, giving the commission discretion on the method of transmission.
In another key decision, the Senate retained the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as the sole means of voter accreditation. Lawmakers rejected the proposal in Clause 47 that sought to introduce electronic or alternative forms of voter identification, insisting that the PVC remains the legally recognised document for accrediting voters during elections.
The passage of the bill followed extensive debate, with senators expressing differing views on the balance between electoral transparency, technological adoption and operational flexibility for the electoral umpire.
The bill, passed by the Senate, is expected to be harmonised with the version passed by the House of Representatives before being transmitted to the President for assent, in line with legislative procedure.
