By Ayomide Otitoju
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has outlined the National Assembly’s legislative priorities as it enters the final 16 months of the 10th Assembly, emphasizing electoral reforms, constitutional review, and the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bamidele noted that with only 16 of the constitutionally allotted 48 months remaining, the Assembly will focus on swift yet thorough legislative action to address Nigeria’s economic, political, and governance challenges. He highlighted that the past 32 months have been dedicated to reforms aimed at transforming Nigeria from an extraction-dependent economy to a diversified, globally competitive one.
“As we resume plenary, we have resolved to consider and conclude legislative initiatives that directly touch our electoral regime and governance structure, while consolidating reforms already initiated to make public governance more efficient and people-centred,” Bamidele said.
The Senate Leader revealed that the Assembly will prioritize scrutiny and passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, valued at ₦58.47 trillion, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2025. He described the proposed budget as key to sustaining macroeconomic stability, enhancing global competitiveness, creating jobs, increasing incomes, and improving the quality of life for Nigerians.
Bamidele also highlighted recent fiscal reforms, including the 2025 Tax Reform Act, which he said has eased the tax burden on low-income earners while increasing contributions from high-income earners to help reduce budget deficits over time.
On electoral reforms, the Senate Leader stated that the Assembly has begun a clause-by-clause review of the Electoral Act 2022 through the proposed Electoral Bill 2025, ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Bill proposes over 20 major reforms, including voting rights for prisoners, mandatory early release of election funds to INEC, electronically generated voter IDs with QR codes, and compulsory electronic transmission of polling unit results.
Additional measures include stricter voter registration rules, standardized party primary delegates, higher campaign spending limits, tougher sanctions for electoral offences, and mandatory jail terms for vote buying, result falsification, and obstruction of election officials. Offenders could face fines of up to ₦5 million, two years’ imprisonment, and a 10-year ban from contesting elections. Committees on INEC are expected to submit their reports for plenary debate and voting before transmission to the President for assent.
Bamidele also confirmed that the review of the 1999 Constitution has reached an advanced stage, with technical sessions completed and reports from public hearings submitted. Senate Deputy President and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Barau Jibrin, is expected to lay the report before the Senate before the end of the first quarter of 2026. He reminded that constitutional amendments require approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly and urged states to evaluate the proposals on merit.
The Senate Leader reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to good governance, national security, and the welfare of Nigerians, stressing that public trust is a responsibility the Assembly must never breach.
