ABUJA — The House of Representatives has passed a series of amendments to the Electoral Act, introducing severe new penalties for vote buying and selling, including at least two years imprisonment or a N5 million fine—or both—plus a 10-year ban from contesting elections.
During a clause-by-clause review on Thursday, lawmakers significantly raised the consequences for electoral fraud. Previously, penalties were capped at N500,000 or a maximum of two years in prison.
Key Reforms Approved:
· Real-Time Result Transmission: INEC must now electronically transmit results from polling units to the IREV portal simultaneously with physical collation.
· Stiffer Penalties for Officials: Presiding officers who deliberately breach counting and transmission rules face at least six months imprisonment or a N500,000 fine.
· Early INEC Funding: Election funds must be released to INEC at least one year before a general election.
· Extended Candidate Submission Deadline: Political parties now have 210 days instead of 180 to submit candidate lists to INEC.
Why the Repeal Was Shelved:
The House Committee on Electoral Matters Chairman, Adebayo Balongun, explained that initial plans to repeal the 2022 Electoral Act were dropped after far-reaching proposals—including early voting and inmate voting—failed to gain consensus among lawmakers and stakeholders.
Instead, the House opted for targeted amendments to strengthen existing laws and improve electoral transparency.
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Disclaimer: This report is based on proceedings from the House of Representatives. The amendments await Senate concurrence and presidential assent to become law.
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