The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has warned that the failure of the National Assembly to conclude passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill could jeopardise preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the Senate of deliberately frustrating efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022, warning that continued delays could undermine the credibility of the next general election.
To be on the good side of the law, the Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must give notice of at least 360 days before elections.
Speaking at a press conference addressed by its Convener, Yunusa Ya’u, in Abuja, the group expressed concern over the Senate’s continued delay in acting on the bill already passed by the House of Representatives, describing the situation as a serious setback to Nigeria’s electoral reform process.
The House passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill at Third Reading on December 23, 2025, after extensive deliberations. The proposed amendment seeks to address key gaps identified in recent elections, including clearer legal backing for electronic transmission of results, provisions for early voting, and stricter sanctions for electoral offences.
However, the Senate has yet to conclude action on the bill. Although it passed Second Reading in the upper chamber on October 22, 2025, it was stepped down due to procedural issues and was not returned for final consideration before the Senate adjourned for its end-of-year recess. Situation Room described the delay as inexcusable, noting that electoral reform is time-sensitive and critical to democratic governance.
In a statement shared on his X yesterday, Atiku described loopholes in the Electoral Act as a major setback to the 2023 elections. He argued that the loopholes enabled widespread electoral malpractice and made it difficult for petitioners to prove their cases in court.
Atiku stressed that urgent legislative action was required if similar challenges were to be avoided in future polls, particularly the 2027 general elections.
“It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent elections needs to be reviewed,” he added.
NWANKWO, while fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’, said the National Assembly could not continue to delay the amendment of the Electoral Bill, adding that time is running out, and it needs to be prioritised.
He said: “We need time for preparation for the election. We need certain things in the electoral laws and legal framework both the international instruments, including ECOWAS protocols, in Nigeria. In fact, the Electoral Act stipulates the need for certainty in electoral law.
“When you look at the Constitution and the Electoral Act, it’s quite clear that you must give notice of election 360 days before the elections. Those 360 days are still in the 2022 Electoral Act, so it’s not a problem.”
