House of Assembly 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.