In a significant move toward perfecting Nigeria’s voting laws, the House of Representatives has officially formed a conference committee to handle the amendment of the Electoral Act. This major step was confirmed on Thursday through an announcement by the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi.
The decision was formalized through an internal memo from the Clerk to the House, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, acting on instructions from the House leadership. The primary goal of this team is to sit down with their counterparts from the Senate to iron out the differences in the versions of the bill passed by both chambers. Once they reach a middle ground, a final, unified document will be presented for the National Assembly’s ultimate approval.
Leading the charge for the House is Representative Adebayo Balogun, who currently chairs the Committee on Electoral Matters. He will be working alongside a diverse team of lawmakers, including Fred Agbedi, Sada Soli, Ahmadu Jaha, Iduma Igariwey Enwo, Saidu Musa Abdullahi, and Dr. Zainab Gimba. The House has emphasized that this isn’t just a routine procedure, but a serious effort to make the country’s elections more transparent and credible.
This development follows a similar move by the Senate just a day prior. On Wednesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio named his own team of negotiators to ensure the harmonisation process goes smoothly. The Senate’s side of the table will be led by Senator Simon Bako Lalong.
Other prominent senators joining the talks include Niyi Adegbonmire, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Aminu Abbas, and Tokunbo Abiru. With both houses now having their representatives ready, the stage is set for a high-level collaboration aimed at strengthening the backbone of Nigeria’s democratic process and restoring public trust in the system.
