2027: Senate To Review  Electoral Act After Election

The Nigerian Senate has forclosed any plan toalter the Electoral Act 2026, new amendment, it said, will be after the 2027 general election.

According tothe Upper Chamber of the Nigerian legislature, the Assemby has completed all the reforms fofthe next general election in the country, and would not embark on any amendment of the nation’s law in the preparation for the election net year.

Senate’s spoksperson Yemi Adaramodu made the assertion while speaking toThe Punch Newspaper amid agitation among not a few Nigerians that some alteration is necessary to make the 2027 free,fairand credible.

The agitation is not unconnected with the recent Supreme Court ruling affirming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the statutory and constitutional backing to regulate electoral processes and enforce guidelines such as party membership register submission.

The apex court ruling, which has sparked agitation among politicalparties in the country, the court said was to ensure that political parties conduct transparent primary elections among their mebers contesting election.

In spite of the restiveness among some political parties, Adaramodu said the Senate will not embark on any amendement until after the 2027 election, saying thw lawmakers have done what is necessary in the Electoral Act 2026 to makethe election credible.

He,however,urged Nigerians who have petitions over the issue tosubmit tothe National Assebly, which will later look into it.

Adaramodu: “We have already done the electoral reform and passed that one. It is meant for the 2027 elections. It is only after it that we can consider it for a review if there is any necessity or calls for amendments and rejigging. That’s when it can come up.

“Anybody who has any petition against it should submit to the Senate. But for us at the Senate and National Assembly, we have passed the Electoral Act into law. It has been assented to, and it is now in use.

“As you know, it is through the Electoral Act that parties produced the candidates who will contest in January and February. So, are you now going to shift the goalposts in the middle of the game? Are you going to play a football match in reverse? Do you tell them to walk backwards instead of running forward?

“How do you halt an Electoral Act that is already in use for a new one? We are not going to do that,” he said.