House of Representatives Approves 10-Year Jail Term for Electoral Result Forgery

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the House of Representatives has passed a major amendment to the Electoral Act, introducing severe new penalties for electoral crimes and fraud.

The newly passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 stipulates that any person convicted of forging nomination papers, election result forms, or destroying official election documents will face a 10-year prison sentence or a N75 million fine. The law also imposes a N5 million penalty for the improper use of a voter’s card.

According to Hon. Adebayo Balogun, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, the Senate and House committees will now reconcile their versions of the bill. The harmonized legislation is scheduled to be transmitted to the Presidency for assent by the second week of January 2026.

Key Resolutions and Rejections
The House established that in cases of over-voting, excess votes will be deducted proportionately from all affected political parties, and the presiding officers involved will be subject to prosecution. However, lawmakers rejected a controversial proposal to imprison individuals for inducing delegates during party primaries, citing concerns over potential political persecution. They also removed a clause that would have mandated a fresh election in over-voting scenarios.

Chairman Balogun clarified that proposals for early voting, inmate voting, and diaspora voting were excluded from this amendment due to unresolved challenges related to identity verification and voter registration. He further emphasized that despite potential network issues, presiding officers remain legally obligated to transmit election results directly from the polling units.