The Senate has ruled out any review of the Electoral Act 2026 before the 2027 general elections, saying the law will remain in force for the poll.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly had completed the electoral reform process and would not change the rules while preparations for the elections were ongoing.
Adaramodu, who spoke in an interview, said any amendment to the law could only be considered after the 2027 elections.
“We have already done the electoral reform and passed that one. It is meant for the 2027 elections. It is only after it that we can consider it for a review,” he said.
He argued that reopening the law at this stage would amount to changing the rules in the middle of the electoral process, noting that political parties had already begun producing candidates under the Act.
The senator’s position followed a September 24 Supreme Court judgment that restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions had earlier been voided by the Court of Appeal.
The seven-member Supreme Court panel unanimously held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the Constitution. Sections 77(5) to 77(7) deal with party membership registers and participation in primaries, while Section 84(2) provides for direct primaries or consensus in selecting candidates.
The ruling has raised questions over the possible impact on candidates whose party membership, waivers, or nomination processes could be challenged.
However, several political parties have maintained that their candidates remain valid, with the Peoples Democratic Party, Allied People’s Movement, and Labour Party rejecting suggestions that the judgment automatically affects their candidates.
Adaramodu said the Senate would not halt the current electoral process to introduce a new law, insisting that any further review would have to wait until after the 2027 elections.
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