Reps Strengthen Electoral Act: Tougher Penalties for Vote Buying, Fraud

The House of Representatives has approved significant amendments to the Electoral Act, imposing harsher penalties for vote buying and selling. Individuals found guilty may face a minimum of two years’ imprisonment, a N5 million fine, or both, along with a 10-year ban from contesting elections.

The decision came during a clause-by-clause review of the House Committee on Electoral Matters’ report at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. The revised Clause 22 now replaces previous penalties, which were limited to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment or N500,000.

The House also adopted changes to Section 60(3), requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, alongside the physical collation of results. The measure aims to enhance transparency and prevent result manipulation.

Presiding officers who deliberately breach counting, announcement, or transmission procedures will face a minimum fine of N500,000, at least six months’ imprisonment, or both, under the new Section 60(6). The House further approved that election funds be released to INEC at least one year before general elections to improve planning and execution.

To curb multiple voter registrations, the amended Clause 12(3) now prescribes a minimum fine of N100,000 or at least one year’s imprisonment, or both, for offenders. Political parties will also have an extended deadline to submit their candidate lists to INEC, moving from 180 to 210 days before elections.

The amendments allow the use of electronically generated voter identification, including downloadable voter cards with QR codes or other INEC-prescribed forms, for voter accreditation and voting.

While consideration of remaining clauses continues, the House has decided against repealing the Electoral Act 2022, opting instead for targeted amendments after broader reform proposals failed to secure consensus. Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balongun, explained that initiatives such as early voting, inmate voting, replacing PVCs with technology-driven accreditation, and election timeline adjustments lacked sufficient support among lawmakers and stakeholders.