Senate targets December 2025 to conclude Electoral Act amendment, says Opeyemi Bamidele

Opeyemi Bamidele, senate majority leader, says the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 will be completed on or before December 2025.

Speaking on Tuesday on the floor of the senate, Bamidele, who represents Ekiti central, said the amended law will be used for the 2027 elections.

He spoke shortly after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Bola Tinubu’s request for the confirmation of Joash Amupitan, a professor of law, as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Amupitan was nominated by Tinubu following his unanimous approval by the council of state last Wednesday.

Bamidele said the last administration under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari could not sign the final aspect of the 2022 Electoral Act because it was transmitted late to the presidency.

“Before then, we had made our first proposal. We sent the bill to the then president, and it was signed,” he said.

“When further observations were made, especially when certain people were disenfranchised as statutory delegates and the National Assembly wanted to make corrections, late former president Muhammadu Buhari said the bill was coming too close to election.

“And late President Buhari then observed that he did not want to be misunderstood by the public. That is why the bill was not signed then.

“Between now and December 2025, we will ensure that the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 is concluded so that it will not be too close to the 2027 elections.”

Bamidele, who also serves as vice-chairman of the 1999 Constitution review committee, said the ongoing constitutional review process would succeed because key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, are fully involved.

He dismissed fears that the presidency might resist the amendment process.

“I do not envisage that there will be any resistance because public institutions are working with the national assembly for the successful review of the 1999 constitution,” he said.

“In this amendment, global best practices will also be taken into consideration in the area of domestication of international treaties and agreements.”

On criticism from opposition parties, Bamidele said it is natural for them to discredit the government, as they are “plotting to reclaim the presidency”.

“Part of what they will love to see is to see the ruling party fighting on a daily basis, throwing out correspondences from the presidency or whatever is coming from the executive,” he said.

“That is what will make them happy. But our focus is on rebuilding Nigeria, stabilising our polity and growing our economy. And we will never be distracted from this goal.”

Bamidele added that the 10th senate will prioritise the amendment of the Electoral Act, the review of the 1999 Constitution, and other key legislative reforms in its third legislative year.