House of Representatives don agree make punishment hard well-well for people wey dey do electoral offences for Nigeria, as dem amend Electoral Act 2022.
For plenary on Thursday, lawmakers approve 10 years jail term or ₦75 million fine for anybody wey forge nomination papers or destroy election result sheets. This one big pass the old law wey talk ₦50 million fine.
Dem also approve ₦5 million fine for anybody wey misuse voter card.
But House no gree with proposal wey wan jail people two years for bribing or inducing delegates with money or materials during party primaries, congresses or conventions. Lawmakers talk say such law fit turn weapon for political enemies to harass aspirants and candidates.
On over-voting matter, House remove the old rule wey dey force INEC cancel result and do fresh election for any polling unit wey over-voting happen. Instead, dem approve new method wey say make excess votes deduct proportionately from all candidates scores. The Presiding Officer for that polling unit go face prosecution.
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Chairman of House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, explain say Electoral Bill 2025 first get plan to completely replace Electoral Act 2022. According to am, the idea na to build on progress from recent elections and solve new challenges for Nigeria electoral system.
Balogun say committee suggest big reforms like early voting, voting for inmates, replacing PVC with more technology-driven accreditation, adjustment of electoral timelines, and other innovations. But since many of those changes no pass committee stage, House decide say amendment better pass total repeal of the law.
According to am, na legislative process determine the final decision of the House.