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The Digest:

The House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introducing stringent penalties for electoral offences ahead of the 2027 general elections. Under the new provisions, anyone convicted of forging nomination papers or election result forms, or destroying electoral documents, faces a 10-year prison sentence or a ₦75 million fine, a clear move to deter malpractice and strengthen electoral integrity.

Key Points:
  • The bill includes a ₦5 million penalty for improper use of a voter’s card
  • In cases of over-voting, excess votes will be deducted proportionately from all parties
  • Presiding officers involved in over-voting will be liable for prosecution
  • Lawmakers rejected a clause to jail individuals for inducing delegates at primaries
  • Provisions for early voting, inmate voting, and diaspora voting were excluded
  • The Senate and House committees will harmonize the bill by January 2026
  • The bill emphasizes that presiding officers must transmit results despite network issues
  • Public reaction has been mixed, with many expressing skepticism about enforcement
As Nigeria prepares for another electoral cycle, this legislative push seeks to anchor the process in stricter accountability, yet in a landscape where trust is fragile, the true test will be not in the writing of laws, but in the storm of their enforcement.

Sources: Premium Times