Judul : Nigeria Faces New Electoral Reform Delay
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Nigeria Faces New Electoral Reform Delay
In every election cycle, Nigerians expect the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and the President to revise the Constitution, Electoral Act, and other election-related legislation, in order to enhance the standard of our elections. A decrease in electoral integrity has continued to be a significant issue for Nigerians, particularly the younger generation.
Nigerians often anticipate that updating our legal system to enhance our electoral procedures will be fast and smooth, yet they frequently face the contrary. The constitutional and electoral reform process occasionally starts late, encounters major delays and unnecessary setbacks, and is only completed just as the next election approaches. After the voting, we go back to the same discussion, as if democracy is a wheel we keep trying to push uphill, only to see it roll back down.
The 10th Senate and House of Representatives both established their Constitutional Review Committees in February 2024, seven full months following their official announcement in June 2023. Forming these committees within three months could have demonstrated a stronger commitment. In 2024, the Senate and House Constitutional Review Committees outlined plans for their activities, including dates for public hearings to gather opinions from Nigerians. The Senate's Constitutional review committee eventually conducted its public session in July 2025, nine months behind its initial plan of September 2024. Similarly, the House held its session in July 2025, eight months later than its scheduled date of October 2024.
Our initiative, the Youth-Electoral Reform Project, participated in all 19 regional and national public hearings organized by the Senate and House Constitutional Review Committees, and praised both legislative bodies for the transparent and honest conversations that took place. However, timing appears to be a challenge once more, as there is still no indication of a vote on the Constitutional Review Bills discussed during those hearings, three and a half months after the public hearings occurred. Originally, the Senate intended to vote on the bills between April and May 2025, while the House had set its vote for April 2025. There was information suggesting the votes might occur in October, but that did not happen.
As a procedure for amending the constitution, the bills must be sent to the 36 states' Houses of Assembly for approval by the National Assembly, following their passage, in accordance with Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Constitution. Both houses of the National Assembly intended to send constitutional reform bills to the State Houses of Assembly for approval between May and August 2025.
No new messages or information have been provided regarding the timing of all the processes that remain unimplemented.
We cannot continue experiencing these delays as a nation. Democracy does not flourish through improvisation or last-minute efforts; it flourishes through clarity, consistency, and genuine intent. If legislators do not expedite these reforms, the 2027 election will mirror the 2019 and 2023 elections, where we failed to raise awareness and fully implement the revised laws. We have witnessed this before. In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari repeatedly withheld approval of the Electoral Amendment Bill, arguing that it was too close to the 2019 elections. This delay caused confusion. Political parties held primaries without sufficient guidance; legal cases increased; and INEC was forced to manage a major election under outdated laws because the President refused to sign the updated legislation.
Young Nigerians are calling on the National Assembly to save the constitutional and electoral reform processes by enacting election-related bills before the end of 2025 and sending them to the State Houses of Assembly for approval. We are slowly reaching the deadlines when international suggestions for expediting electoral reform will become relevant for us. International agreements, such as those from the African Union and ECOWAS, indicate that late changes to the election legal system damage the legitimacy of elections. It's time to stop the delays. When electoral reform is postponed, everyone suffers, including voters, observers, parties, and candidates. The average Nigerian, particularly young people, who stand in the heat to cast their votes, deserves more than legal ambiguity and partial solutions.
History is already observing. The issue lies in whether our leaders will shape history or relive it. When changes arrive too late, democracy suffers. However, when they occur in a timely manner, democracy thrives. The YERP-Naija initiative encourages all young individuals to keep contacting their chosen representatives to enact all electoral reform bills by the end of 2025. We urge Nigerian youth, civil society organizations, and professional associations to join public demands for comprehensive electoral reform via both conventional and social media platforms.
- Kabulu is part of the Youth Electoral Reform Project, North-East Chapter.
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