Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District and Chairman, National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Simon Bako Lalong, CON, has presided over the Public Hearing on the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022 and Enact the Electoral Act, 2025.
Declaring the session open, Senator Lalong explained that both the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters have been engaging with critical stakeholders to ensure that the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process and deepen democracy.
He said the public hearing provides another opportunity to aggregate views, inputs, and contributions from members of the public, which will enrich the final draft of the bill to be presented for debate and passage by the National Assembly.
Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, noted that the amendment process has received robust scrutiny from lawmakers, civil society organisations, INEC, political parties, development partners, and other stakeholders.
He encouraged participants to identify key areas for improvement to help produce an electoral law that meets the aspirations of Nigerians.
Representing the President of the Senate, Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to enacting laws that enhance the nation’s democratic institutions and electoral integrity.
He assured Nigerians that the leadership of the National Assembly remains resolute in addressing grey areas in the 2022 Electoral Act to further improve the credibility of future elections.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, represented by the Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, stated that the House is fully committed to ensuring that the country’s electoral framework guarantees credible, free, and fair elections.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre ,PLAC, led by Clement Nwankwo, and the Head of Development Cooperation, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ,FCDO, Nigeria, Cynthia Rowe.
They all commended the Joint Committee for its proactive engagement and called for the speedy passage of the bill to enable INEC prepare adequately ahead of the 2027 general elections.
