The House of Representatives has approved tougher penalties for electoral offences, endorsing stiffer sanctions as part of amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022.
At plenary on Thursday, lawmakers approved a 10-year prison term or a fine of N75 million for individuals convicted of forging nomination documents or destroying election result sheets. The new fine represents an increase from the N50 million penalty contained in the existing law. The House also approved a N5 million fine for the improper use of a voter’s card.
However, the House rejected a proposal seeking to impose a two-year jail term on individuals who financially or materially induce delegates to influence the outcome of party primaries, congresses or conventions. Lawmakers argued that such a provision could be abused by political opponents to harass aspirants and candidates.
The amendments also altered provisions on over-voting. The House removed the requirement for automatic cancellation of results and the conduct of fresh elections in polling units where over-voting occurs. Instead, it approved a framework under which excess votes would be deducted proportionately from the scores of all candidates, while the presiding officer in the affected polling unit would face prosecution.
Explaining the changes, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said the Electoral Bill 2025 was initially proposed as a complete replacement of the Electoral Act 2022, aimed at consolidating gains from recent elections and addressing emerging challenges in the electoral system.
He said proposed reforms included early voting, voting by inmates, replacing the Permanent Voters’ Card with more technology-driven accreditation methods, adjustments to electoral timelines and other innovations.
Balogun added that legislative procedure influenced the final outcome, noting that repeal and re-enactment is appropriate only when proposed changes fundamentally transform an existing law. Since several major provisions were not approved at committee stage, the House resolved to amend the current Act rather than repeal it entirely.
