Some Senators have called for an amendment to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, placing full responsibility on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to prove election results amidst litigations.
The lawmakers made the call on Wednesday at plenary during the resumed debate on a bill for an act to repeal the Electoral Act No 13, 2022 and enact the Electoral Bill 2025, to regulate conduct of Federal, State and Area Councils elections.
The Nigerian Senate had on Thursday, October 16, stood down further consideration of the bill, saying that the time was not auspicious for the senate to debate the bill.
The Senate had also emphasised the need for further consultations on the bill before proceeding further.
Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), had also stressed the need for lawmakers to fully understand the general principles and details of the bill, hence the postponement of further consideration to another legislative date.
At the resumed debate on the bill, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio said INEC must be held responsible for elections it conducted, saying “the burden of proof on election outcomes lie on the electoral Commission.”
Akpabio said; “INEC should be able to prove that the elections it conducted were done in line with provisions of the law.
“They are in charge of logistics and electoral materials, every action at the election, and so they should be able to prove and validate the outcome of every election.”
He said the National Assembly would put in its best on the Electoral Act Amendment bill for the good of all Nigerians and the nation’s electoral system.
Corroborating, Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP-Bayelsa) said the burden of proof on electoral matters should lie with INEC alone, not the election disputes contenders in court.
Dickson also advocated for the deployment of improved technology on election matters such as BVAS and improved funding for the commission.
Senator Lere Oyewumi (PDP-Osun) advocated for the provision of stiffer penalities for election offenders to serve as deterrents to others who would be offenders.
Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno) said conducting a credible party primary was key to conducting the general elections, saying that the sought amendment should regulate party primaries, especially on what candidates spend on election primaries.
According to him, “there is a need to curb the incidence of vote buying in the election system.”
Senator Garba Maidoki (APC -Kebbi) said measures should be devised for Nigerians in the diaspora to be involved in the nation’s electoral process, given their contribution to the nation’s economy via remittance of fund from diasporia which was boosting economic growth.
Senator Adamu Alero (APC-Kebbi) said efforts should be made to remove all the inconsistencies in the act, saying elected officials should be made to be part of political party primary via their inclusion on the delegate list.
He called for the elimination of all forms of electoral malpractice via the improved use of BVAS and other technology to make elections in Nigeria free and fair.
“Let us work to improve the BVAS to announce whatever the election results are,” Alero said.
Other lawmakers who supported the introduction of improved technology for the nation’s electoral process include Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia) and Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) among others.
The bill which passed the second reading was referred to the Senate Committee on INEC for further legislative input.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act, No. 13, 2022 and Enact the Electoral Bill, 2025 to regulate the conduct of Federal, State and Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory elections”, the bill was sponsored by the chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Simon, Bako Lalong (Plateau South).
The Nigerian Senate has also suspended the plenary for Thursday, October 23, 2025, to enable members to participate in a retreat on the Electoral Act amendment scheduled to hold in Lagos, South West of the country.