With barely 14 months to go until Nigeria's 2027 general elections, the National Assembly is recalibrating the framework governing political contests, following the passage of a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.
Analysts say the reforms could significantly impact how elections are conducted in Africa's most populous democracy and potentially strengthen confidence in election results.
The Electoral Act Amendment Bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and is awaiting concurrence by the Senate before being transmitted to the President for assent.
But political analysts have expressed concerns that the proposed law still has loopholes that could perpetuate elite dominance, discourage inclusive participation, promote vote buying, while hindering the ability of electoral umpires to enforce it.
A key provision of the bill is that it strengthens transparency at the ballot box by mandating electronic transmission of election results, as well as the use of Bimodal Voter Recognition System (BVAS) or any other technical device prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Under this provision, the Presiding Officers will be required to electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) immediately after the results are recorded.
Experts see this as an advanced protection against result tampering during matching.
“Mandatory electronic transmission of results is an additional layer of transparency that citizens have been fighting for,” said Armsfree Anjaku, executive director of the Grassroots Center for Rights and Civic Orientation.
These reforms come against a backdrop of persistent public concern over electoral fraud and opaque result tallying, which have historically undermined confidence in Nigeria's elections.
Abuja-based political analyst Innocent Okechukwu said mandatory results broadcasting could build public confidence if implemented, but raised concerns over infrastructure challenges such as poor internet connectivity and power supply in rural areas, which could hinder real-time broadcasting.
He also expressed concern over INEC's capacity to deal with the challenges. According to him, system glitches or cyber vulnerabilities could hamper elections and equipment malfunction could lead to voters being disenfranchised.
Lawmakers also doubled campaign spending limits for candidates contesting elections. For example, the campaign expenditure limit for presidential candidates was doubled to N10 billion, while that for the governorship election was increased from N1 billion to N3 billion per candidate.
The maximum amount that senatorial candidates can spend on campaigns has been increased fivefold to N500 million, from N100 million previously. Each candidate contesting for a seat in the House of Representatives can spend from N70 million to N250 million.
Analysts warn that higher spending limits, without rigorous reporting and oversight, risk increasing the influence of 'dark' or untraceable money, and tilting politics towards wealthy candidates and party elites.
“Such an increase equally continues the anomaly of making our political process about the richest candidates. How can we include youth, women and the disabled in the competition when the price of the process is beyond their reach?” Anjaku asked.
He said the increase in campaign finance limits should be supported by stronger reporting and oversight mechanisms.
The bill also introduced tougher sanctions for electoral offences. Vote buying and selling is now punishable by a minimum of two years imprisonment, N5 million fine or both, as well as a 10-year ban from contesting elections. Forging nomination papers, result sheets or destroying election materials is punishable by up to 10 years in jail or a fine of N50 million, rising to N75 million.
Experts say that if passed and implemented honestly, it could reduce the massive monetization of the voting process that has become common on election day.
Chinedu Obi, director-general of the Inter-Party Consultative Council, praised the provision, but expressed concern that the country already faces challenges in tracking vote buys and sellers.
However, the bill fails to address vote-buying during party primaries. Lawmakers rejected a proposed clause seeking to criminalize vote-buying during party primaries. Analysts warn that allowing transactional politics at the primary level effectively rigs elections before the general vote, undermining the credibility of the broader electoral process.
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According to Anjaku, excluding the vote buying aspect from political party primaries reflects a lack of political will to address transactional politics at its root.
“If political actors have the freedom to openly buy votes in primaries, they have indirectly rigged the elections,” he said.
For Okechukwu, vote buying in primaries directly affects the emergence of candidates, and reinforces theocracy.
Obi said allowing vote buying at the primary level promotes a system that puts the wrong candidates before Nigerians.
Speaking further, Obi urged the National Assembly to consider electronic voting system, noting that it would go a long way in mitigating vote-buying and promoting transparency.
He called for a constitutional amendment to change the way INEC bosses and key officials are appointed.
According to him, enabling politicians to nominate INEC leadership does not guarantee the independence of the electoral umpire, which is a key criterion that enhances credibility and public confidence in the electoral process.
