Importance of a Revised Electoral Act for the 2027 Elections — Itodo

Samson Itodo, the executive director of YIAGA Africa, a civil society organization focused on electoral governance, stressed in a recent interview the critical need for action within the next two weeks to address the delays surrounding the passage of the electoral bill.

The House of Representatives has already approved its version of the amendment to the 2025 electoral bill; however, the Senate has yet to act. Itodo expressed concern regarding these delays, stating, "It is very troubling how the Senate has conducted this amendment process."

He remarked that the process began with an unexpected change in the leadership of the Senate committee overseeing the Electoral Commission. Last year, the abrupt replacement of Senator Sharafadeen Ali with Senator Simon Lalong midway through the reform process raised eyebrows among observers.

As of December 19 of the previous year, the House of Representatives had finalized its amendments, making the Senate's inaction surprisingly frustrating. Itodo noted, "Given that the Senate concluded the last amendment process in a timely fashion, their current stall is quite alarming."

The Senate's recent resumption included discussions on the issue, yet they have formed an ad hoc committee to reconcile differing viewpoints, which raises questions about the urgency of their actions. Itodo fears the Senate may be strategically delaying the process, potentially leading to a scenario where amendments are deemed unnecessary as elections approach.

Itodo pointed out that the Senate has indicated a reluctance to finalize these amendments, although they allotted the committee a 48-hour timeframe to produce results. He reiterated that if the leadership is genuinely committed, they could expedite the process much like the swift passage of the National Anthem Bill last time.

In response to the question of whether the delays constitute a deliberate act, Itodo firmly agreed, noting that when discussions were postponed due to the absence of Senator Lalong, it drew questions about legislative procedures. He argued that the absence of a committee chair should not hinder legislative business.

Moreover, with the general elections scheduled for February 2027, Itodo believes there remains an opportunity to amend the bill. He advised that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should operate on the current 2022 electoral act while anticipating future changes. INEC is expected to issue an election timetable by February 20, 2027, aligning with legal requirements.

However, he cautioned that the continued uncertainty hampers stakeholders' preparations for the elections. Delays in passing the law have previously resulted in implementation challenges, as seen in 2022 when ambiguities in the law led to confusion among political parties and stakeholders.

Itodo referenced key features of the proposed bill, such as electronic results transmission and provisions for using electronic voter cards, which require proper guidelines from INEC. The implementation risks causing problems when combined with expected election primaries in April, especially if the new laws only come into effect in February.

As a technical committee member, Itodo actively participated in proposing changes to the electoral act. He noted that civil society groups had submitted suggestions focusing on early voting rights for journalists and electoral observers, who often miss voting opportunities due to their election-related duties.

The bill includes provisions for electronic results transmission, although Itodo lamented that other proposals, such as enabling early voting, were dismissed as inappropriate for Nigeria’s current political climate.

He highlighted additional critical elements, such as measures to enable disciplinary actions against errant electoral officials, suggesting that failing to pass amendments before key political processes could undermine the integrity of elections.

Addressing concerns over the increased limits for campaign financing, which has risen for presidential candidates from N5 billion to N10 billion, he warned this decision further harms the electoral process by making it more favorable to wealthy candidates.

Lastly, Itodo discussed the renewed inclusion of statutory delegates for party primaries, which he believes restores lawmakers' advantages. He advocated for swift passage of the electoral bill and prompt presidential assent to avoid jeopardizing the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. He stressed the need for extensive stakeholder engagement in developing clear, accessible guidelines for the electoral processes to ensure transparency and build public confidence in the 2027 elections.