By PERPETUA ONUEGBU

A CSO, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, has decried what it called delay by the Senate to conclude passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill in 2025.

Convener of the group, Yunusa Ya’u, who stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, noted that the bill had earlier been passed by House of Representatives.

Ya’u called on the upper chamber to prioritise the bill and pass it upon resumption on Jan. 27 without further delay.

According to him, the delay in the passage of the bill threatens Nigeria’s electoral reform process and undermines timely preparations for the 2027 general elections.

“The House of Representatives passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill at its third reading on Dec. 23, 2025 after extensive deliberations.

“The bill seeks to address key weaknesses observed in recent elections, including clearer legal backing for electronic transmission of results, early voting and tougher sanctions for electoral offences.

“However, the senate has failed to discharge its constitutional responsibility on this priority legislation.

“Although the bill passed second reading in senate on Oct. 22, 2025, it was stepped down over procedural issues and never returned for final consideration before the senate adjourned for its end-of-year recess.

“This is in spite of a public commitment by the Joint Committees on Electoral Matters of both chambers in October 2025 to ensure passage of the bill before the end of the year,” he said.

Ya’u, who described the delay as inexcusable, said that the electoral reform was not a routine legislation but a time-sensitive national obligation.

“The senate’s failure to conclude action on a bill already passed by the House reflects poor prioritisation, weak inter-chamber coordination and a troubling disregard for Nigeria’s electoral timelines,” he said.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is legally required to issue the notice of election in February.

“Situation Room stresses that for INEC to plan, implement and sensitise stakeholders under a revised legal framework, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill must be passed and assented to well before then.

The convener also stated that any further delay could place the entire 2027 election cycle at risk.

“The group notes that the delay repeats a dangerous historical pattern.

“The National Assembly has previously acknowledged that the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill failed to receive presidential assent in time because it was transmitted late to the presidency.

“It is unacceptable that the same mistake is now being repeated, in spite of the clear lessons from the past,” Ya’u said. (NAN)