House of Reps Advances Bill to Establish Electoral Offences Commission
A major legislative move to reform Nigeria’s electoral process gained momentum on Thursday as the House of Representatives passed the second reading of a bill to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission.
The bill, championed by Adebayo Balogun, a representative from Lagos, seeks to relieve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offences—an area Balogun says has overburdened the electoral body and compromised the credibility of elections.
“The integrity of our electoral system continues to be challenged by many factors, including vote buying,” Balogun said during plenary. “It is important that we have a commission separate from INEC solely in charge of prosecuting electoral offenders.”
The proposal received overwhelming support from lawmakers during a voice vote conducted by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, signalling a strong desire among legislators to address long-standing flaws in the electoral process.
This is not the first time the idea has surfaced. The bill previously failed to secure passage during the 9th Assembly, stalling amid political and procedural hurdles.
If successful this time, the legislation will move to the committee stage, followed by public hearings and Senate concurrence, before heading to the president’s desk for final assent.
