Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, approved a minimum of two years’ imprisonment or a N5 million fine, or both, alongside a 10-year ban from contesting elections, for individuals involved in vote buying and vote selling.
The House also adopted an amendment to Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act, making it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, alongside physical collation of results.
As part of efforts to curb electoral fraud, lawmakers further increased penalties for multiple voter registration. Under the amended Clause 12(3), offenders now face a minimum fine of N100,000 or at least one year’s imprisonment, or both.
The decisions were taken during the clause-by-clause consideration of the report of the House Committee on Electoral Matters at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.
The measures are aimed at strengthening the credibility of elections and boosting public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Under the amended Clause 22 (a and c), individuals involved in the buying or selling of votes and voter cards will now face significantly stiffer sanctions than previously provided, where penalties were capped at N500,000 or a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.
According to the new provisions on electronic transmission of results, the process must be carried out simultaneously with physical collation, thereby strengthening safeguards against manipulation.
The House also amended sanctions for presiding officers who deliberately breach procedures on the counting, announcement, and transmission of polling unit results. A new Section 60(6) prescribes a minimum fine of N500,000 or at least six months’ imprisonment, or both, for any presiding officer who willfully contravenes the provisions.
In addition, lawmakers approved a clause mandating the release of election funds to INEC at least one year before a general election to enhance early planning and efficient conduct of polls.
The House further extended the deadline for political parties to submit their list of candidates to INEC from 180 days to 210 days before an election, giving the commission more time for processing.
It also approved provisions allowing the use of electronically generated voter identification, including downloadable voter cards with unique QR codes or any other identification prescribed by INEC, for voter accreditation and voting.
Briefing journalists after the consideration, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said the House had shelved plans to repeal the Electoral Act 2022, opting instead for targeted amendments after broader reform proposals failed to secure consensus among lawmakers and key stakeholders.
The Electoral Bill 2025 was initially introduced to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact a new electoral law. According to the committee, the proposal was intended to build on recent electoral gains and address emerging challenges in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Among the major reforms proposed were early voting, inmate voting, replacement of the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) with technology-driven or downloadable voter accreditation mechanisms, and adjustments to election timelines.
However, the committee said the proposals did not receive sufficient support across both chambers of the National Assembly or among stakeholders consulted.
“As the legislative process progressed, it became evident that many of these far-reaching proposals did not command the support of the majority of members across the two chambers, nor did they enjoy sufficient consensus among key stakeholders,” Balogun said.
