Senate passes Electoral Act amendment bill

The senate has passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2026.

The bill was approved after lawmakers considered all 155 clauses during plenary.

Senators adopted several amendments, although most of the provisions were retained in their original form.

One of the key changes was a reduction in the timeline given to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish a notice of election.

The senate agreed to cut the period from 360 days to 180 days ahead of polls.

Tahir Monguno, senator representing Borno north, moved the motion that led to the adjustment.

Monguno said the reduction was important to help INEC comply with election notice requirements.

He added that retaining 360 days would be unrealistic, noting that it would already be too late when viewed against preparations for the next general election.

The story is still developing….