The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has urged the Senate to urgently pass the Electoral Amendment Bill 2025, warning that further delay could negatively affect preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The Executive Director of CITAD, Mr Yunusa Zakari-Ya’u, made the call on Wednesday during an emergency news conference in Kano.
He recalled that during the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) assured Nigerians of the deployment of effective technology, particularly the electronic transmission of election results directly from polling units to collation centres.
According to him, the assurance raised public confidence, as electronic transmission was widely regarded as a major step towards transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
Zakari-Ya’u, however, said INEC’s failure to fully implement electronic transmission of results had serious legal implications.
He noted that most election petitions arising from the 2023 polls were dismissed by the Supreme Court due to ambiguities in the Electoral Act.
He explained that INEC did not expressly mandate electronic transmission of results, while the courts relied on loopholes in the law since the provision was not clearly stated as mandatory.
Zakari-Ya’u added that the outcome of the 2023 elections triggered widespread calls for a review of the Electoral Act to prevent future misinterpretation.
He said the National Assembly, through its Committee on Electoral Matters, subsequently conducted consultations and public hearings across the country over the past two to three years, leading to a consensus amendment bill.
According to him, the bill makes electronic transmission of results mandatory, introduces stiffer penalties for INEC officials who violate electoral laws, grants greater financial autonomy to INEC, and strengthens internal party democracy.
Zakari-Ya’u described the proposed amendments as critical to restoring public confidence in the electoral process.
He said the House of Representatives passed the Electoral Amendment Bill in December 2025 after completing its legislative process, adding that the bill now requires concurrence by the Senate before it can be transmitted to the President for assent.
The CITAD boss expressed disappointment that the Senate proceeded on recess at the end of 2025 without concluding work on the bill, describing the delay as risky.
He warned that the situation was particularly dangerous as INEC is legally required to publish the timetable for the 2027 general elections by April.
“Failure to pass the bill before then could create uncertainty over the legal framework governing the 2027 polls,” he said.
Zakari-Ya’u recalled a similar situation in 2019, when delays in amending the Electoral Act led to the withholding of presidential assent due to time constraints.
He urged the Senate to act swiftly to avoid a repeat of that setback and to ensure credible elections in 2027.