The House of Representatives on Wednesday commenced consideration of a new Electoral Act intended to guide the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Proceedings during the session were marked by frequent interruptions, with lawmakers repeatedly raising points of order as debates arose over which sections of the bill should be addressed. Members spent considerable time deliberating on areas to be included or excluded before resolving to focus on provisions recommended by the House Committee on Electoral Matters.
As part of the consideration, the House approved a proposal that all pre-election matters should be handled exclusively by the Federal High Court in the state where such disputes originate. The chairman of the committee explained that the amendment was designed to prevent pre-election cases from being filed in the Federal Capital Territory or other states without proper jurisdiction.
Lawmakers also engaged in heated debate over a proposal to disqualify candidates found to have submitted false information regarding their constitutional eligibility, along with their political parties. While some members opposed the measure, arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission should instead conduct fresh elections excluding the affected candidate and party, others supported the provision, saying it would compel political parties to conduct thorough due diligence before presenting candidates.
The House further approved stricter penalties for electoral offences. These include a five-year jail term for any returning officer who declares false election results and a ten-year jail term for failing to record results in the prescribed form while announcing them. A two-year jail term was also approved for any Resident Electoral Commissioner who fails to release Certified True Copies of election results.
Consideration of the bill was adjourned until Thursday for continuation.
