Electoral Act: ADC accuses Senate of delay tactics

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Senate of deliberately delaying passage of the Electoral Bill 2025 to undermine reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Saturday in Abuja, warned that delayed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 posed serious compliance and eligibility risks if not passed on time.

It said mandatory electronic voter accreditation and result transmission were minimum safeguards for credible polls in 2027 and must not be sabotaged by legislative delays.

According to ADC, the new requirements demand adequate time for parties and INEC to understand the provisions, warning that unclear guidelines can become traps for opposition parties.

“Lack of clarity as to the electoral guidelines would not only serve as booby traps for opposition political parties, but also make it difficult for INEC to prepare sufficiently and set clear guidelines within the stipulated time.”

The party particularly cited the provision that requires INEC to publish notices on election not later than 360 days before the general elections, saying it remained extant.

“The implication of this is that even now, there is very little time left for adjustments,” it said.

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The party, therefore, called for swift passage, warning that further delays might endanger the 2027 general elections.

The Senate had on Thursday constituted a committee to harmonise the views of its members on the contentious clauses in the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The bill was initially scheduled for consideration on Wednesday but was deferred to Thursday due to the absence of the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong, from plenary and to allow senators more time to study the bill on a clause-by-clause basis.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the amendment bill in December and transmitted it to the Senate for concurrence.