The Senate on Wednesday declared its intention to make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) legally responsible for proving the legitimacy of its actions in election disputes — a move aimed at ending what lawmakers described as the commission’s “sacred cow” status.
The proposal, part of far-reaching amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, was championed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary. He argued that it was unjust to saddle election petitioners with the burden of proof when vital electoral materials remain in INEC’s custody.
“It is wrong to assume that whatever INEC does is perfect,” Akpabio said while opening the debate on the reform bill.
“INEC should be held accountable because it controls electoral materials and logistics. Therefore, it should bear the responsibility in court to prove that its actions were lawful and reflected the will of the people.”
Akpabio described the planned amendments as necessary to strengthen democracy and restore public confidence in the electoral process. While commending the progress made under the 2022 Electoral Act, he said more work was needed to achieve truly credible elections.
“We are improving, but we are not there yet,” he said. “The next reforms must move us closer to credible, transparent, and violence-free elections.”
The session witnessed a heated yet constructive debate as senators from across political divides supported measures to make INEC more accountable and transparent.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) said the reform was long overdue, noting that past amendments failed to close loopholes exploited during elections.
“Since 1999, we have been fine-tuning the Electoral Act. This time, we must empower voters and ensure votes actually count,” he said, stressing the need to strengthen the BVAS system and real-time result transmission.
Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) urged the chamber to correct what he described as “self-inflicted errors” in the current law, particularly the exclusion of sitting lawmakers from serving as delegates during party primaries.
“We shot ourselves in the foot. We must restore all elected representatives as delegates,” he said.
Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), lamented the increasing cases of election-related violence, saying such trends threaten Nigeria’s democracy.
“We cannot continue treating elections like war. Politicians arm poor youths, and those weapons later fuel insecurity,” he warned.
Oshiomhole also proposed that national and state elections be conducted on separate days to ease pressure on security agencies and reduce logistical chaos.
Backing Akpabio’s position, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) said the evidential burden must shift to INEC if the system is to regain credibility. “INEC conducts elections and holds the materials. It must be the one to show that its actions were lawful,” he said.
Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South) condemned the high cost of obtaining certified true copies of election materials — sometimes up to N1.5 billion — and renewed calls for diaspora voting, noting that Nigerians abroad contribute massively to the economy through remittances.
In response, Akpabio assured that the Senate would give serious consideration to diaspora participation as part of the coming reforms.
Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South) cautioned that legislation alone cannot guarantee credible elections, stressing the need for ethical leadership within electoral institutions.
“Ghosts do not conduct elections. Our laws are sound, but enforcement is weak. Those managing the process must act as trustees of the people’s mandate,” he said.
Earlier in the sitting, the Senate read three letters from President Bola Tinubu seeking confirmation of nominees to the boards of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), as well as the nomination of Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro as Minister of the Federal Republic. The requests were referred to relevant committees for screening.
The Senate also resolved to suspend Thursday’s plenary to allow members of the Constitution Review Committee to attend a joint retreat with the House of Representatives in Lagos.
Reaffirming the chamber’s resolve, Akpabio said the Senate’s focus was not merely on legal reform but on deepening democratic trust.
“We must close loopholes and strengthen our laws so that Nigerians can once again trust the process,” he said. “INEC must no longer operate as a sacred cow.”
