Deliberations on the proposed amendment to Nigeria’s Electoral Act stalled once again on Tuesday as the Senate deferred open debate and resolved to meet behind closed doors, ending the day without a definitive decision on the highly anticipated reforms.
Senators spent nearly four and a half hours in an executive session examining the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, led by Senator Simon Lalong, as well as inputs from a seven-member ad hoc panel set up last week to iron out disputed sections of the bill. When lawmakers eventually reconvened in open session at about 5:35 pm, no information was provided on the outcome of the discussions, effectively leaving the legislation in legislative uncertainty for the second sitting in a row.
The closed-door meeting began shortly after 1:05 pm, following a motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele for the chamber to sit as a Committee of the Whole to undertake a detailed clause-by-clause review of the proposed amendments. Despite the inclusion of the ad hoc committee’s report — coordinated by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) — on the Order Paper for consideration, senators chose to conduct all deliberations away from public view.
When plenary resumed, Senate President Godswill Akpabio provided only a terse and general summary of the session, offering no specifics on whether consensus had been reached or how far consideration of the bill had progressed.
“At the executive session, the Senate deliberated on matters relating to the working of the Senate in particular and the nation in general,” Akpabio said, before asking senators to confirm if the statement reflected what transpired.
The chamber responded with a chorus of “aye,” after which the gavel was struck, effectively closing the item without further explanation. Moments later, Senator Bamidele moved a motion for the adjournment of plenary until Wednesday, again without any indication of whether the bill had scaled third reading or when it would return for final passage.
A Bill in Repeated Limbo
The repeated delay has heightened uncertainty surrounding the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, which is widely regarded as critical to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections. This latest stalemate comes barely days after the Senate raised expectations by inaugurating a seven-member ad hoc committee mandated to harmonise senators’ positions and resolve outstanding issues in the proposed legislation.
The committee was constituted last Thursday following a three-hour closed-door executive session during which lawmakers subjected the bill to further scrutiny. Announcing the decision at the time, Akpabio said the panel was established to synthesise lawmakers’ views and address concerns raised during plenary debates.
The ad hoc committee is chaired by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, with Senators Adamu Aliero, Aminu Tambuwal, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye and Titus Zam as members.
Despite the committee’s intervention, Tuesday’s proceedings ended without clarity, reinforcing concerns that the reform process may be dragging amid internal disagreements over key provisions.
Proposed Reforms and Key Amendments
The proposed amendments are aimed at addressing loopholes observed in recent elections, curbing electoral malpractice and boosting public confidence in the electoral process. Among the key recommendations before the Senate is the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal.
The bill also proposes tougher penalties for electoral offences, including result manipulation and ballot-box snatching, as well as updated provisions to reflect evolving electoral technology. One notable safeguard is a new sub-clause seeking to criminalise the failure of presiding officers to sign and stamp ballot papers and officially announced results.
In addition, the committee recommended replacing references to the “smart card reader” with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in Sections 47(2) and (3) of the Act, reflecting current operational realities.
To protect vulnerable voters, proposed amendments to Section 54(1) would prohibit political party agents, candidates or their officials from accompanying visually impaired or incapacitated voters into voting cubicles — a measure intended to curb undue influence and voter exploitation.
Rising Political and Public Pressure
Major opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, Labour Party and New Nigeria People’s Party, have criticised what they described as a lack of urgency by the National Assembly in amending the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 polls. The parties warned that further delays could erode public confidence in the electoral process and undermine the credibility of future elections.
Civil society organisations and election observers have echoed similar concerns, noting that prolonged legislative uncertainty could affect the Independent National Electoral Commission’s ability to plan effectively within statutory timelines.
Uncertain Path Ahead
Despite the growing criticism, the Senate maintains that the ad hoc committee will fast-track the process as lawmakers intensify efforts to conclude work on the bill in the coming days. However, with repeated closed-door sessions yielding no public outcomes, questions remain about when — or whether — the amended Electoral Act will be passed in time to meaningfully shape the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
For now, the fate of the much-anticipated reforms remains uncertain, as the upper chamber continues to deliberate largely out of public view.