January 30, (THEWILL) — The Senate, on Thursday, named Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Aminu Tambuwal among five other lawmakers to a seven-member ad-hoc committee tasked with reviewing contentious provisions in the report on proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
THEWILL reports that the ad-hoc panel will work alongside the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, to harmonise differing views and address grey areas identified in the report prepared by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, led by Senator Simon Lalong.
The announcement followed a three-hour closed-door executive session where lawmakers thoroughly reviewed the Lalong committee’s report. The report had initially been scheduled for debate on Wednesday, but was stepped down due to the absence of Senator Lalong.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed that the ad-hoc panel would sit for 48 hours and present its recommendations on the third legislative day for consideration in plenary.
Other members of the panel include Senators Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Tony Nwoye, and Titus Zam, while the Clerk to the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, will serve as secretary.
The report highlights several key proposals aimed at strengthening transparency and credibility in the electoral process. Among the most significant is a provision requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit election results from polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) immediately after collation, a measure intended to prevent result manipulation and ballot box snatching.
Other recommended amendments include making it an offence for presiding officers to fail to sign and stamp ballot papers and announced results, and replacing the term “smart card reader” with the “Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)” in line with current electoral practice. The report also seeks to protect visually impaired or incapacitated voters by barring political party agents, candidates, or officials from accompanying them into voting compartments.
The report proposes stiffer penalties for vote trading and the buying or selling of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), increasing fines from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million, while also including the National Identification Number (NIN) as a requirement to curb illegal voter registrations. It empowers courts, where elections have been held, to declare the candidate with the second-highest number of valid votes as the winner if the leading candidate is disqualified and prescribes fines for unqualified candidates.
Other provisions focus on ensuring transparency in candidate withdrawal through sworn affidavits, extending timelines for political parties to inspect ballot paper samples, and introducing safeguards for nomination and voting procedures during party primaries.
Reforms are also recommended to regulate post-election collation of results and enhance governance within political parties, including proper record-keeping of memberships, specific notices for conventions, and limits on campaign expenses.
The Senate adjourned plenary until Tuesday next week to consider the ad-hoc panel’s report before taking a final decision on the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
