The Senate has officially ruled out any further amendments to the Electoral Act 2026 prior to the 2027 general elections, confirming that the current legal and statutory framework will remain fully in place throughout the upcoming electoral cycle.
Speaking on behalf of the upper legislative chamber, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, affirmed that the National Assembly has concluded its legislative process on electoral reforms and will not alter the ground rules while political parties actively prepare for the polls. Any further reviews or legislative adjustments will only be considered after the conclusion of the 2027 general elections.
The announcement follows a Supreme Court judgment that unanimously overturned a prior Court of Appeal ruling. The apex court set aside the appellate decision which had declared Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 unconstitutional following a suit by the Zenith Labour Party—thereby restoring the statutory provisions governing political party membership registers, candidate nomination procedures, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) election timetable.
The Electoral Act 2026 has been passed by the National Assembly and signed into law specifically to govern the 2027 general elections.
Reopening the Act at this stage would disrupt ongoing electoral preparations, candidate nominations, and party primaries already conducted under the current law.
Public petitions or suggestions for amendments will be logged for legislative consideration only after the 2027 general elections are concluded.
“We have already done the electoral reform and passed that one; it is meant for the 2027 elections,” stated Senator Yemi Adaramodu. “Parties have used the law to produce candidates who are going to contest… So, are you now going to shift the goalpost in the middle of the game? How do you halt an electoral act that is already in use for a new one? We are not going to do that.”
With the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of Sections 77 and 84(2), compliance with statutory membership registers submitted to INEC and legal candidate nomination methods (direct primaries and consensus) remains strictly required for all participating political parties.
