The Nigerian Senate has resolved to debate and consider the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act on Thursday.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during Wednesday’s plenary shortly after the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, requested that senators be allowed to take home the report on the Electoral Act prepared by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for a detailed clause-by-clause study.
Mr Akpabio agreed with the submission, saying there was no need to rush the passage of the amendment, stressing that a carefully considered law would better serve Nigerians.
“This is a very important bill, considering the fact that we’re about to go into elections. So, if we rush it, we’ll meet at the tribunal. So, if we do it right, then, all Nigerians will smile that we have free and fair elections,” he said.
Next legislative day
The debate on the general principles of the Electoral Act amendment bill was initially scheduled for consideration during Wednesday’s plenary.
However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), who was expected to present the committee’s report, was absent.
His absence prompted a brief consultation by the Senate leadership at the Senate president’s seat while the plenary was ongoing. It was subsequently agreed that the presentation and debate should be deferred to the next legislative day.
Mr Bamidele thereafter moved a motion to step down the bill until Thursday, noting that a brief closed-door session would be held on the amendment proposals before public consideration.
The motion was put to a voice vote by Mr Akpabio and was overwhelmingly supported by the senators, after which the bill was stepped down.
The electoral amendment act
The Electoral Act amendment bill contains about 20 proposals to reform Nigeria’s electoral process.
One of the key proposals seeks to make the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) non-compulsory for voting. The proposed amendment to Sections 18 and 47 says that since the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not rely on the PVC’s microchip, other forms of identification, such as the National Identification Number (NIN), international passport, or birth certificate, should also be acceptable for voting.
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Another proposal seeks to amend Section 60(5) to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory, while Section 71(2) is proposed to criminalise the distribution of unstamped or unsigned ballot papers and result sheets. The provision recommends a penalty of at least one year’s imprisonment, a fine of N1 million, or both, for any presiding or collation officer who distributes such documents.
The bill also proposes an upward review of campaign spending limits for candidates seeking elective offices.
Under the proposal, the spending limit for presidential candidates would increase from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion, while governorship candidates would be allowed to spend up to ₦3 billion, up from the current ₦1 billion.
For senatorial elections, the cap would rise from ₦100 million to ₦500 million, while House of Representatives candidates would be permitted to spend up to ₦250 million, compared to the existing ₦70 million.
The spending limit for state House of Assembly candidates would increase from ₦30 million to ₦100 million. Local government chairmanship candidates would also be allowed to spend up to ₦100 million, while councillorship candidates’ spending limit would rise from ₦5 million to ₦10 million.
