Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has asked his colleagues to urgently give attention to the 87 constitution amendment proposals presented before the House by Nigerians for review, pointing out that proposals for electoral reforms must be finalised well ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Speaker, who made this known at the resumption of plenary after the National Assembly annual reccess noted that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeks not only to strengthen measures against violence, improve access for persons with disabilities, and establish clearer timelines for resolving disputes, but also to reduce the ambiguities that trailed the 2023 general elections.
Abbas reminded his colleagues that the goal of the House is to make elections less contentious and litigious, lower their cost through single-day voting, and make the process of political Party primaries more democratic and inclusive.
The Speaker also identified devolution of powers, Local Governments autonomy, judicial reforms, socio-economic rights, among others as key proposals awaiting debate and votes by members before transmission to the State Assemblies for concurrence ahead of the 2027 general elections
He appealed to members to support the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, explaining that creating additional seats will not affect the current 109 seats in the Senate or the 360 seats in the House but will help in expanding opportunities for women’s representation and help Nigeria improve her current poor global standing.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
