Civil society organisations and pro-democracy advocates have intensified calls on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to reconvene immediately from recess and prioritise the passage of the 2025 Electoral Bill, warning that continued delay poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
AdvoKC Foundation, a civil society group focused on transparency, democratic governance, and citizen participation, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday by its Communications Manager, Luqman Adamu.
The organisation expressed concern that Nigeria’s democracy was at a critical juncture as the Senate remained on recess despite the time-sensitive nature of the proposed electoral reforms.
According to the group, the urgency is heightened by provisions of the existing Electoral Act, which mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Notice of Election at least one year before the scheduled general elections.
AdvoKC Foundation cautioned that if the 2025 Electoral Act Amendment Bill is not passed before this notice is issued, INEC would be legally bound to conduct the next general elections under the current 2022 Electoral Act, which the group described as outdated and flawed.
The foundation warned that such a scenario would undermine much-needed reforms and further erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. It noted that the 2025 Electoral Bill contained some of the most far-reaching electoral reforms proposed in recent years, saying they include early release of funds to INEC to enable timely preparations, compulsory submission of audited accounts by the commission, the use of National Identification Number (NIN) for voter registration to ensure a cleaner voters’ register, clearer election timelines, the introduction of early voting, and expanded voting rights for inmates.
The AdvoKC Foundation emphasised that the reforms were crucial for enhancing transparency, mitigating logistical challenges, and bolstering the overall integrity of the electoral process.
