In attempts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process, the Senate has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2025 through second reading, proposing a shift that would place the burden of proof on INEC in election petition cases.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage during Wednesday’s plenary after a majority of senators supported it through a voice vote.
The bill was, thereafter, referred to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further deliberation and a public hearing, after which the committee was directed to report back within two weeks.
Sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South),the bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework governing elections in Nigeria.
It was initially presented for second reading last Thursday. However, the bill was stepped down to allow for wider consultation. It resurfaced during Wednesday’s session, where lawmakers extensively debated its general principles.
Lalong, while presenting the bill, acknowledged that the Electoral Act 2022 introduced significant reforms but also revealed certain weaknesses, such as delays in the release of election funds, disputes over voter registers, conflicting interpretations of result transmission, and weak enforcement of electoral offences.
He explained that the new legislation seeks to enhance the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by insulating it from political interference and government control.
During debate on the bill, lawmakers argued that the current position of the law, which places the burden of proof on the petitioner, is unfair and undermines electoral justice. They proposed that INEC, as the body conducting elections, should bear the responsibility of proving that elections were free, fair and credible.
Senators also raised concerns over the growing threat posed by political actors to democratic institutions and called for greater support and funding for INEC to enable it deploy more technology in future elections.
Akpabio applauded the ongoing improvements in Nigeria’s electoral system, stating that “elections have improved in the country since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) left power, we have had improvements but we are not yet there.”
He called for continued reforms to enhance transparency and public trust in the electoral process.
