The House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, through its third reading, paving the way for stricter sanctions ahead of the 2027 general election.
The amended bill introduces tougher penalties for electoral offences, including a 10-year jail term or a fine of ₦75 million for individuals convicted of forging nomination papers, falsifying election result forms, or destroying election-related documents.
Lawmakers also approved stiffer fines across several offences and imposed a ₦5 million penalty for the improper use of a voter’s card.
Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, disclosed that committees from both chambers of the National Assembly would harmonise the bill before transmitting it to the President for assent by the second week of January 2026.
The House further resolved that cases of over-voting would be addressed by proportionately deducting excess votes from all participating political parties, while presiding officers involved would face prosecution.
However, lawmakers rejected a proposal to impose jail terms for inducing delegates during party primaries, citing concerns over potential political witch-hunts. They also removed a clause that mandated fresh elections in instances of over-voting.
Balogun noted that proposals for early voting, inmate voting and diaspora voting were excluded from the bill due to unresolved challenges related to voter identification and registration.
He added that despite persistent network challenges, presiding officers are still required by law to transmit election results directly from polling units.
