Nigerian Senate Passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill

The Nigeria===Senate of Nigeria has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, aiming to strengthen the country's electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections. A seven-member ad hoc committee, led by Niyi Adegbonmire, was formed to harmonize senators' inputs. Key amendments include retaining electronic transmission of results (Clause 60), increasing fines for vote-buying (Clause 22(C)), reducing the notice of election period from 360 to 180 days (Clause 28), and mandating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accreditation (Clause 47). Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission but maintained existing provisions empowering the Nigeria===Independent National Electoral Commission to determine its use. However, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the Nigeria===People s Democratic Party, and the Nigeria===African Democratic Congress have condemned the Senate's actions, particularly the perceived rejection of real-time electronic transmission, as a deliberate assault on electoral transparency and a move to undermine Nigeria's democracy.