Partially fulfilling its commitment to pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2025) in December, the House of Representatives took significant steps on Thursday to update Nigeria’s electoral laws. The approved amendments place particular emphasis on broadening and clarifying the authority of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The eagerly awaited Bill seeks to strengthen electoral procedures, fix issues seen in recent elections, and enhance both transparency and credibility in the voting process. It was passed during a plenary session chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, where the lawmakers examined the bill clause by clause and adopted several amendments intended to enhance election administration and limit post-election disputes.

These significant changes in the new bill include mandatory electronic transmission of results, increased penalties for electoral offences, and higher campaign spending limits.

Presiding officers must electronically send results from each polling unit to the INEC IReV portal in real-time after signing and stamping the official form.

Stiffer Penalties for Electoral Offences:

• Penalties for vote buying/selling include imprisonment or fines and a ban from contesting elections.
• Forging nomination papers or destroying result sheets can result in a lengthy jail term or a substantial fine.
• Presiding officers who declare false results face imprisonment.
• Officers who deliberately violate the Act can face fines or imprisonment.

There are still sections of the bill yet to be considered and approved or rejected by the House before its final resolution on the bill.

Other key amendments approved include the rejection of a clause seeking to criminalise vote-buying during party primaries. The rejected provision had proposed that any person who financially induces a delegate to influence the outcome of party primaries be sentenced to two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

According to Clause 89 (4), which was added during the amendment stage, “a person that financially or materially induces a delegate for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the party primaries, congresses and conventions commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of two years without an option of fine.”

The lawmakers, however, overwhelmingly voted against the provision during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill at the Committee of the Whole House.

The rejection of the clause effectively removes criminal sanctions for inducement at party primaries from the amendment.

Clauses 3, 5, and 6, which deal with preliminary provisions and key interpretations of the Act, were approved to reflect current electoral realities. A lawmaker from Kaduna State, Fatima Balarabe, emphasised that updated and precise legal definitions are critical to preventing ambiguities that could compromise elections.

The House also adopted Clauses 10 and 12, which strengthen INEC’s authority over the conduct, supervision, and management of elections, including logistics and personnel deployment. Kalu said stronger statutory backing is necessary for INEC to operate independently and effectively.

Amendments to Clauses 18 and 22, covering voter registration and the compilation, maintenance, and display of the voters’ register, were approved to reduce manipulation and improve the inclusion of eligible voters. Balarabe noted that the changes would help curb disenfranchisement caused by errors in the register.

Lawmakers further adopted amendments to Clauses 23 and 29, which clarify timelines and compliance requirements for party nominations and the submission of candidates’ lists to INEC. According to Kalu, the revisions would enable INEC to better regulate political parties and ensure smoother nomination processes.

Clauses 31, 32 and 34, relating to party primaries, publication of candidates’ details, and qualifications for elective offices, were also approved to minimise pre-election disputes and irregularities.

In addition, Clauses 47, 50 and 54, which address voting procedures, voter accreditation and the use of technology in elections, were adopted. Kalu said the provisions give INEC clearer legal authority to deploy electronic systems during elections.

Clause 60 was amended to strengthen procedures for the declaration of results, while Clause 62 reinforces rules on the collation, transmission and custody of results to reduce post-election conflicts.

The House approved Clauses 64 and 65 on electoral offences and penalties, signalling a tougher approach to practices such as vote-buying. A Kano lawmaker, Aisha Mohammed, said stiffer sanctions are essential to deterring electoral malpractice.

Clauses 71 and 73, which address election petitions and dispute resolution timelines, were also adopted, while Clause 74 was amended to streamline post-election legal processes.

However, consideration of Section 51 was deferred because it was not included in the committee’s report.

The committee’s report was adopted as a working document, clearing the way for further consideration of outstanding provisions.

In his concluding remarks, Kalu said the amendments are designed to rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system by closing gaps exposed during the 2023 general elections, particularly in areas such as technology use, voter register integrity, enforcement of INEC’s powers and prolonged election litigation.

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