Senate Slashes Election Notice Period To 300 Days to Grant INEC More Flexibility
Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber has approved fresh changes to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, trimming the statutory election notice period from 360 days to 300 days in a bid to give the Independent National Electoral Commission more flexibility in fixing poll dates. The adjustment effectively grants INEC an extra 60 days to review and realign its timetable, particularly to prevent any overlap between national elections and the Ramadan fasting season. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the chamber reconvened mainly to fine-tune sections of the bill that would allow the electoral body reconsider its schedule without breaching legal timelines. Earlier, INEC had announced February 20 for presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and state assembly polls were slated for March 6. The timeline drew public concern over a possible clash with Ramadan. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong, noted that the commission did not deliberately create the scheduling tension, explaining that the framework guiding the timetable had been put in place before the current leadership took charge. Lawmakers also revisited Clause 60 of the bill, which addresses the mode of transmitting election results. During debate, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe advocated mandatory real-time electronic transmission, insisting it would strengthen transparency and deepen public trust in the electoral system. After deliberations in a closed session, however, the Senate resolved to retain a safeguard allowing manual transmission where electronic networks fail. Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the provision would guarantee continuity of the electoral process in situations where technological systems encounter difficulties.
