Senate pushes INEC to defend election results

The Senate on Wednesday called for the transfer of the burden of proof in election petitions from aggrieved candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission — the body that conducts and supervises elections.

The proposal formed a key part of deliberations as lawmakers debated the general principles of a bill seeking to repeal the 2022 Electoral Act and enact a new Electoral Act 2025.

The move, they argued, would make the electoral process more credible, transparent and accountable.

But the Senate’s fresh proposal sharply divided opposition parties, with the Peoples Democratic Party warning that the move could undermine democracy.

The proposal, which formed part of deliberations on the new Electoral Act 2025 Bill debated on Wednesday, seeks to make the electoral umpire — as organiser and regulator of elections — primarily responsible for defending the integrity of polls it conducts.

Lawmakers backing the proposal, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Seriake Dickson, argued that INEC should “bear the burden of proving that elections were free, fair, and credible,” describing it as a long-overdue reform to strengthen democracy ahead of the 2027 polls.

The lawmakers also believed, if signed to law, it will mark a turning point in the bid to reform Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Under the current law, petitioners who challenge election results bear the legal burden of proving irregularities — in line with the Evidence Act, which provides that “he who asserts, must prove.”

But several senators, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, insisted that INEC — as the organiser and regulator of elections — should be held responsible for defending the integrity of the polls it conducts.

Leading the debate, Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) argued that the reform was long overdue if Nigeria must strengthen its democracy.

“If there is one major achievement we must secure in this 10th Senate under your leadership, it should be meaningful electoral reform. We have the opportunity to modernise our system — authorise INEC to deploy more technology and back that authorisation with adequate funding.