SENATE PASSES ELECTORAL BILL 2025 FOR SECOND READING
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Senate has passed for second reading the Bill to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact the Electoral Bill 2025. The new bill seeks to regulate federal, state, and FCT elections, addressing challenges observed during the 2023 general elections.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Simon Lalong, said the 2022 Act no longer meets current realities and must be replaced to strengthen INEC and improve Nigeria’s electoral system.
Senators across party lines supported the bill. Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe called it a turning point for democracy, while Senator Kamarudeen Oyewumi urged for strict punishment and quick prosecution of electoral offenders. Senators Ali Ndume and Patrick Ndubeze proposed that elections be concluded within six hours, and Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Seriake Dickson called for the elimination of electoral violence.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Committee on Electoral Matters for further work before a detailed clause-by-clause debate in two weeks.