2027: Atiku, Situation Room demand urgent action on Electoral Act

By Ayox Ojo/Abuja

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a civil society organisation, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, on Thursday raised alarm over the delay by the Senate to conclude work on the amendment of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill ahead of the 2027 general election.

While Atiku faulted the delay in the passage of the Electoral Act on his social media handles, members of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room spoke at a press conference addressed by Yunusa Ya’u, its convener in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking at the press conference, Ya’u noted that the bill had earlier been passed by House of Representatives.

He therefore urged the Senate to prioritise the bill and pass it upon resumption on Jan. 27 without further delay.

According to him, the delay in the passage of the bill threatens Nigeria’s electoral reform process and undermines timely preparations for the 2027 general elections.

“The House of Representatives passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill at its third reading on Dec. 23, 2025 after extensive deliberations.

“The bill seeks to address key weaknesses observed in recent elections, including clearer legal backing for electronic transmission of results, early voting and tougher sanctions for electoral offences.

“However, the senate has failed to discharge its constitutional responsibility on this priority legislation.

“Although the bill passed second reading in senate on Oct. 22, 2025, it was stepped down over procedural issues and never returned for final consideration before the senate adjourned for its end-of-year recess.

“This is in spite of a public commitment by the Joint Committees on Electoral Matters of both chambers in October 2025 to ensure passage of the bill before the end of the year,” he said.

Ya’u, who described the delay as inexcusable, said that the electoral reform was not a routine legislation, but a time-sensitive national obligation.

“The senate’s failure to conclude action on a bill already passed by the House reflects poor prioritisation, weak inter-chamber coordination and a troubling disregard for Nigeria’s electoral timelines,” he said.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is legally required to issue the notice of election in February.

“Situation Room stresses that for INEC to plan, implement and sensitise stakeholders under a revised legal framework, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill must be passed and assented to well before then.

The convener also stated that any further delay could place the entire 2027 election cycle at risk.

“The group notes that the delay repeats a dangerous historical pattern.

“The National Assembly has previously acknowledged that the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill failed to receive presidential assent in time because it was transmitted late to the presidency.

“It is unacceptable that the same mistake is now being repeated, in spite of the clear lessons from the past,” Ya’u said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Speaking in the same vein, Atiku noted that failure to amend the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for the brazen rigging of 2023 election, and the near-impossibility of petitioners to advance their cases in the courts.

The former Vice President therefore said the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed to ensure that the 2027 election is guided by a better legal framework.

He accused the Senate of to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act while calling for egislative responsibility.

“The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.

“It is, therefore, imperative that the Senate finalises the amendments and ensures the updated law governs the conduct of the 2027 elections. Anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast,” Atiku said.