…Assures Electoral Act Amendment Will Be Ready for 2027

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has responded to sustained advocacy by the AdvoKC Foundation, assuring Nigerians that amendments to the Electoral Act will be concluded in time for the 2027 general elections.

The assurance was conveyed through his Special Adviser on Constitutional Matters, Dr. Monday Ubani (SAN), following weeks of public pressure by the Foundation urging the Senate to cut short its recess and prioritise the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025.

Speaking during an interactive session with reporters on Monday, Dr. Ubani said the Senate would take up the bill immediately upon resumption from recess on January 27, expressing confidence that the process would be concluded swiftly.

He disclosed that the Senate leadership is working towards passage and presidential assent by the first week of February 2026, noting that the timeline is critical in view of the legal requirement for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Notice of Election at least one year before polling day.

“With the House of Representatives having already passed its version, the process is approaching its final stages,” Ubani said. “Once the Senate resumes, they will certainly pass it.”

The assurance follows concerns raised by AdvoKC Foundation over the Senate’s decision to proceed on recess despite the time-sensitive nature of the Electoral Bill. The Foundation warned that failure to pass the amendment before INEC issues its Notice of Election would legally compel the Commission to conduct the 2027 general elections under the existing 2022 Electoral Act.

According to the Foundation, such a development would undermine urgently needed reforms, weaken INEC’s preparedness, and further erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“The Electoral Bill 2025 contains some of the most transformative provisions Nigeria has seen in recent years,” the Foundation stated, citing early release of INEC funding, mandatory audited accounts, NIN-based voter registration, clearer election timelines, early voting, and expanded voting rights for inmates.

Dr. Ubani acknowledged that the 2022 Electoral Act revealed significant gaps during the 2023 general elections, particularly in the areas of election litigation and result management.

He identified real-time electronic transmission of results as a key reform, noting that it would significantly reduce manipulation at collation centres and provide a verifiable trail for judicial review.

He also explained that the proposed amendment seeks to prevent election petitions from being dismissed on technical grounds by allowing documentary evidence to be tendered by a single collation officer or legal representative, rather than requiring witnesses from every polling unit.

While welcoming the Senate’s assurance, AdvoKC Foundation stressed that the matter has moved beyond expressions of intent to actual execution.

Despite the bill’s national importance, the Senate had earlier skipped consideration of its own Electoral Bill, SB 903, even after the committee report was listed on the Order Paper on December 3, 2025. The Senate subsequently proceeded on recess until January 27, leaving a narrow window for harmonisation, passage, and presidential assent.

The Foundation noted that this delay contrasts sharply with the speed at which other priority bills were passed, suggesting that legislative urgency is often a matter of choice.

“We urge Senate President Akpabio and the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to reconvene without delay and pass the 2025 Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the interest of our democracy,” the Foundation said. “The nation is watching. The responsibility lies with the Senate.”

Dr. Ubani concluded by stating that the Senate leadership plans to engage media and judiciary correspondents after the bill’s passage to ensure Nigerians fully understand the new provisions.

For AdvoKC Foundation, the public assurance places the Senate firmly on record. The coming weeks, it said, will determine whether the promise translates into action or whether Nigeria’s electoral reforms will be delayed at the cost of democratic credibility.