The House of Representatives has inaugurated a bipartisan conference committee on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, marking a key step toward reconciling areas of divergence between the versions earlier passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
The move was made public in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Akin Rotimi Jr., spokesperson of the House of Representatives.
According to the statement, the constitution of the committee followed an internal communication dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, from the Clerk to the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzaria.
The correspondence conveyed a directive from the House leadership, taken in line with established legislative practice.
The conference committee is chaired by Hon. Adebayo Balogun, with membership drawn from across party lines. Other members include Reps Fred Agbedi, Sada Soli, Ahmadu Jaha, Iduma Enwo, Saidu Abdullahi and Dr Zainab Gimba.
The House explained that the committee has been tasked with engaging its Senate counterpart to reconcile and harmonise the differing provisions contained in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill as approved separately by both chambers. This process is required before the legislation can be considered for final passage by the National Assembly.
The development comes just one day after the Senate passed the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 on February 4, following its third reading on the floor of the upper chamber.
The proposed amendment is designed to reinforce Nigeria’s electoral legal framework ahead of the 2027 general elections. Key objectives of the bill include the introduction of tougher sanctions for electoral offences and the realignment of critical administrative timelines to improve efficiency and compliance.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its resolve to pursue electoral reforms that enhance transparency, credibility and public trust in the country’s democratic system, stressing that the harmonisation process is essential to delivering a robust and effective electoral law.
What you should know
The House of Representatives has set up a conference committee to reconcile differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and that passed by the Senate.
This step follows the Senate’s passage of the amended bill in February 2026 and is required before the legislation can be finally approved.
The bill is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 elections, with provisions targeting tougher penalties for electoral offences and improved administrative processes to boost transparency and public confidence.
