A bill aimed at amending the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022, to provide for early voting in elections passed its second reading in the Senate on Thursday.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022, to provide for early voting at elections, including criteria for eligibility, procedure at the elections, and other related matters, 2025,” was introduced by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC-Katsina).
During the debate, Yar’adua emphasized that the bill’s objective was to enfranchise Nigerians who were unable to vote on election day due to their official duties. This includes INEC officials, security personnel, journalists, and observers.
He pointed out that more than one million citizens who play vital roles in ensuring the success of elections were currently disenfranchised because they were deployed far from their registered polling units.
“This bill seeks to correct that by making provisions for early voting for such citizens,” Yar’adua stated, arguing that excluding these individuals from voting undermined the integrity of the election process. He added that the bill would help solve the disenfranchisement issue, thus enhancing the democratic process by ensuring that all eligible citizens could participate in the electoral system, regardless of their professional or official duties on election day.
Senators Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro expressed support for the bill, emphasizing the need to reduce barriers to voting and improve Nigeria’s electoral process.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative review. The committee has been tasked with reporting back in four weeks.