Electoral Bill 2025: Reps Drop Repeal Plan, Opt to Amend Electoral Act 2022

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives has concluded consideration of the Electoral Bill 2025, resolving to amend—rather than repeal—the Electoral Act 2022 after far-reaching reform proposals failed to secure broad legislative and stakeholder consensus.
Briefing colleagues, the press and the public on Thursday, the House said the decision followed exhaustive debates and joint sittings of the National Assembly Committees on Electoral Matters, which revealed limited support for proposals that would have fundamentally altered the existing electoral framework.
Originally introduced as a bill to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact a new law, the Electoral Bill 2025 contained proposals on early voting, inmate voting, replacement of the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) with downloadable voter accreditation mechanisms, changes to election timelines and other innovations.
However, lawmakers noted that many of these proposals did not command majority backing across both chambers of the National Assembly nor enjoy sufficient consensus among key stakeholders.
“In legislative practice, a repeal and re-enactment is appropriate only where proposed changes fundamentally transform the identity of an existing law,” the House said, explaining that the rejection of several transformative provisions made an amendment approach more appropriate.
The House stressed that the decision does not amount to a setback for electoral reform, but rather reflects democratic maturity and responsible law-making anchored on inclusion, balance and broad agreement.
Despite dropping the repeal plan, lawmakers introduced several meaningful amendments during clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, underscoring the importance attached to the Electoral Bill 2025.
The House reaffirmed that the Electoral Act 2022 remains one of Nigeria’s most progressive electoral laws, adding that the approved amendments are intended to strengthen its provisions, address observed gaps and improve implementation without destabilising the legal framework.
Lawmakers also assured Nigerians that the process was transparent and inclusive, involving engagements with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations, political parties, professional bodies, development partners and citizens nationwide.
While some innovative proposals were deferred, the House said they remain part of Nigeria’s ongoing electoral reform discourse and could be revisited as consensus evolves.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to credible elections, democratic stability and continuous improvement of Nigeria’s electoral laws, pledging to ensure future elections are transparent, inclusive, secure and reflective of the will of the people.