Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said on Monday that reforming the nation’s electoral legal system was important to the conduct of credible, free, and fair elections acceptable to all segments of the Nigerian society.
Both leaders of the parliament spoke at a one-day public hearing on the repeal of the 2022 electoral Act and re-enactment of the 2025 electoral Act, organized by the National Assembly Joint Committee on electoral matters.
Speaker Abbas said the nation’s democracy rests upon the credibility of the elections, stressing that unless the electoral processes are freer, fairer, cheaper, and less contentious, “we endanger the fourth republic.”
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said electoral reform is not just a technical exercise, but the lifeblood of democracy and must ensure that leadership is born of legitimacy and that power flows from the people, not from privilege.
Represented by the Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, the Speaker said, “These reforms respond to the national demand that the ballot box be sacred, that all votes count, and that disputes are resolved swiftly and fairly.”
Speaker Abbas said, “The Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeks not only to strengthen measures against electoral fraud, improve access for persons with disabilities, and establish clearer timelines for resolving disputes, but also to reduce the ambiguities that trailed previous elections.
“Our goal is to make elections less contentious and litigious, lower their cost through single-day voting, and make the process of party primaries more democratic and inclusive.
“Other proposals include electronic transmission of results, and the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to professionally investigate and prosecute electoral crimes, as well as firmer deadlines for the resolution of election disputes so that governance is not held hostage by endless litigation.
“As I have said in other fora, the overarching goal is to produce a new Electoral Act that stands the test of time.
“The National Assembly did not arrive at these proposals by itself alone. The proposals were aggregated from several submissions to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters by Nigerians and strategic stakeholders, including election monitoring groups, special interest groups, and civil society organizations.
“One of the clearest messages to emerge from these submissions is that Nigerians know exactly what is needed to have transparent and credible elections, and it is not what is currently available. Our democracy rests upon the credibility of our elections, and unless these contests are freer, fairer, cheaper, and less contentious, we endanger the fourth republic.
“Therefore, these reforms respond to the national demand that the ballot box be sacred, that all votes count, and that disputes are resolved swiftly and fairly.
“These have now necessitated this public hearing, and it is our expectation that through today’s engagement, we shall curate vital and patriotic inputs towards preparing the final draft proposal that will be presented to the plenary of both chambers of the National Assembly for voting and adoption by the elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“This public hearing also underscores our commitment to open legislation, inclusive legislative action, and the sustenance of our democratic culture by granting the people every opportunity to contribute to law-making in our country.
“The 2027 General Elections will be Nigeria’s eighth since the 1999 election that ushered in a new democratic leadership in our country. There is no doubt, therefore, that this nation has made steady progress in its electoral journey.
“This progress has been built on the back of reforms of the electoral system, taking into cognizance the shortcomings of previous election cycles. The reforms captured in this Electoral Act are far-reaching and profound enough to guide the conduct of free, fair, transparent elections in our country.
“The way to make meaningful progress is to continue to correct every observable shortcoming by strengthening the electoral system to ensure that our people vote freely and can see their votes count in the best interest of our great country.
“Today’s Public Hearing is, therefore, designed to ensure that all critical stakeholders add a final voice to the new electoral law before it returns to the plenary for final votes. I urge you all to attend to this as a matter of national importance and patriotically address areas of concern with the best intentions for the overall good of our country.
“We must work to hand over to our children a country with an electoral system that they can be proud of. That journey continues with your contributions at this public hearing. Let us eschew political party rivalry and note that a transparent electoral system that guarantees free, fair, and accountable elections will work for the good of every political party, irrespective of size, and every Nigerian, irrespective of tongue.
“From the outset, the National Assembly has pledged that it will make every effort to ensure that the process is concluded in a timely manner for presidential assent so that issues like technology-related reforms, which may require hardware and training, will be taken care of early enough, and funding can be available in time to avoid technical and logistic hitches.
“Previous attempts at amending the electoral act had foundered on the back of time, and we must do everything to avoid the same mistakes.”
On his part, the Senate President, who was represented by the Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said the National Assembly was not just discussing a law, but shaping the moral compass of the country, and commended the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters of the 10th National Assembly for their foresight and for orchestrating and convening the public hearing.
He said, “You have summoned this assembly at a time when our nation must again reaffirm her faith in the sanctity of the ballot and the inviolability of the people’s will. Your work speaks not only to the intellect, but to the conscience of Nigeria.
“The task before us, the Bill on the repeal of the Electoral Act Number 13 of 2022, and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2025, is not a matter of mere legislative housekeeping; it is an act of renewal, an affirmation that our democracy must continue to evolve with the times.
“Every generation of Nigerians must install, polish the mirror of democracy, so that it reflects the truth of its age and the hope of its people. That is why Udo Udoma, of blessed memory, a Supreme Court Justice, in one of his judgments, stated that laws are supposed to be organic. They are not supposed to be static. They are supposed to change with the changing nature of society so that it reflects the truth of its age and the hope of its people.
“The Electoral Act of 2022 served a noble purpose, but experience has taught us that perfection is a pursuit, not a possession. The law we make today must correct the weaknesses of yesterday and prepare the ground for the victories of tomorrow.
“Electoral reform is not just a technical exercise. It is the lifeblood of democracy. It ensures that leadership is born of legitimacy and that power flows from the people, not from privilege. A nation’s greatness is not measured by the noise of its elections, but by the credibility of its outcome.
“When citizens believe that their votes count, they invest faith in the Republic. When they doubt it, the soul of democracy begins to fade.
“Our duty as legislators is therefore to build a system where every Nigerian, from Sokoto to Calabar, from Yenagoa to Kano, and from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt, the people must know that his or her vote is sacred and divorced from manipulation.
“The legislature occupies a sacred place in this endeavor. We are the custodians of the people’s trust, the bridge between their hopes and the laws that govern their lives. The National Assembly must remain the fortress, the marketplace of ideas, and the temple of accountability. It is here, within these walls, that the raw timber of public opinion is shaped into the refined architecture of law.
“Through hearings like this, we give democracy its most vital expression. The right of citizens to speak, to be heard, and to influence the course of their nation.
“In Nigeria, we desire a nation of justice, peace, and unity will not emerge from comfort or consensus alone. It will emerge from the hard labor of truth, from the willingness to learn, and from the courage to reform”.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong, said the event marks a critical step in the collective effort to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and processes through a transparent, inclusive, and participatory law-making process.
According to him, Elections are the lifeblood of democracy, and the legal framework that governs them must be robust, responsive, and reflective of the realities of the time, adding that the exercise demonstrates the legislature’s firm belief that laws that affect the generality of the people must benefit from their input, their experience, and their aspirations.
He said the electoral bill 2025 seeks to address identified gaps and challenges from the conduct of the 2022 23 general elections, as well as subsequent off-cycle elections. We are not unmindful of the contentious nature of electoral reform, and that is why we are committed to a transparent and non-partisan approach to this process.
The objective, he said, is not to serve the interest of any political party or group, but to safeguard the integrity of elections and build public confidence in the democratic process.
Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said the 2022 election, as we all know, was a landmark piece of legislation that introduced several innovations, most notably among which was the Bivota Bivota voter accreditation system known as Bivas.
He said as with every human institution, experience has shown that there is still room for refinement, adding that the 2023 general election provided valuable lessons and revealed gaps in the implementation of the law, especially in areas relating to the usage of technology, transmission of results, and political parties’ primaries and internal democracy, campaign financing, among others.
He listed some of the areas for amendment to include a timeline for elections and election tribunals, which is proposed to be moved from the Constitution to the Electoral Act, voting by inmates, which already had a judgment from the Supreme Court compelling the INEC to ensure that inmates are also given their constitutional rights.
Another amendment to the Act he said is the replacement of members of legislative houses without a by-election, which was also a proposal for INEC trying to reduce the cost. Transmission of results, Political parties and internal democracy, amongst many others.
Representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a National Commissioner of the Commission, Prof. Abdullahi AbdulZ/zuru said the Commission wants an amendment to 47(1) of the electoral act 20 22 to modify the mandatory requirement for the use of PVCs to vote and the introduction of electronically downloadable voters card, saying the commission believe that with the introduction of the BOYS, these cards are no longer necessary.
He said the commission looks forward to more Nigerians voting in future elections, adding that the provisions of the section prevent people from voting.
He said the commission also want a review of the electoral legal framework to introduce early and special voting to cater for eligible voters on essential service, saying “I want to vote but I can’t vote. The security man that is involved can’t vote. And it’s just because of that regulation that we have that you have to be you have to vote at the polling unit where you are registered.
It’s not necessary that you will be deployed on Election Day to that particular polling unit so it has been a challenge to those who want to vote. But in a way, we are disenfranchising ourselves and all those staff that are being deployed for election duties. That’s why we are looking for legal reforms to ensure that these things are handled.
“We also are talking about the electoral law to permit diaspora and other out of country voting. This occurs in many countries, why not Nigeria?
The Head of Development Cooperation at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Cynthia Rowe, said the public hearing is a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to democratic processes and institutions and a reflection of the progress made by the National Assembly to respond to the voices of Nigerian citizens and civil society who have called for a more transparent, inclusive, and credible electoral framework.
According to Rowe, Public hearings give voice to citizens, they allow ideas to be heard, they ensure that reforms are designed not just for the people, but with the people, stressing that it goes beyond a legislative formality and a demonstration of trust in people’s ability to shape the rules that govern them.
She said, “Nigeria’s democracy has traveled a long road. Over the years, it has weathered challenges, it’s adapted and it’s grown. Each election, each reform and each civic debate adds an additional layer of resilience to a nation’s democratic story.
“Elections are the cornerstone of any democracy. They are the way that citizens express their will, hold their leaders to account and shape the future of their nation. The 2023 general elections in Nigeria were a key moment in the country’s democratic history.
“They brought to the fore the strengths and innovations of the Nigerian electoral system, and they highlighted significant lessons as well.
“Nigeria prepares for its next electoral cycle, the decisions made in this room and by this institution will have far-reaching implications. And the issues are complex and consequential.
“Enduring credible, transparent elections that include all parts of society, rationalizing provisions on campaign financing, addressing electoral offenses, exploring mechanisms such as early voting, diaspora participation, dispute resolution, there is a whole host of complex issues that this institution and you all are looking at today.
“Beyond the legal framework for the elections, the impending confirmation of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission by the Senate is another defining moment in the run-up to the polls.
“As custodians of the legal framework underpinning Nigeria’s democracy, you have a unique responsibility and opportunity to shape the legal architecture that will stand the test of time. And we, as your partners standing at the side, commend you for your bipartisan and collaborative approach.
