As the National Assembly resumes plenary today, both chambers will fast-track the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution alongside the 2026 budget and electoral reforms
The National Assembly resumes plenary today with lawmakers expected to prioritise deliberations on President Bola Tinubu’s ₦58.47 trillion 2026 budget proposal, alongside far-reaching amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework.
Both chambers had embarked on five weeks of Christmas and New Year recess on December 23, 2025.
Parliament Reports recalls that while the House of Representatives passed its version of the Electoral Act amendment bill in December, the Senate is yet to conclude work on the legislation, which remains at the committee stage despite the conduct of a public hearing.
Among the major proposals before the lawmakers is a plan to make the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) non-compulsory for voting. The proposed amendments to Sections 18 and 47 argue that since the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not depend on the PVC’s microchip, alternative forms of identification—such as the National Identification Number (NIN), international passport or birth certificate—should also be admissible for voting.
Another key proposal seeks to amend Section 60(5) to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory. In addition, Section 71(2) is proposed to be amended to criminalise the distribution of unstamped or unsigned ballot papers and result sheets.
Under the proposal, any presiding or collation officer found guilty would face a minimum of one year imprisonment, a fine of ₦1 million, or both.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said both chambers of the National Assembly would also fast-track the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, assuring that the final document would be transmitted to state assemblies before the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Bamidele disclosed that committees in the Senate and House of Representatives had already commenced scrutiny of the revenue and expenditure components of the 2026 budget, which President Bola Tinubu presented to a joint sitting of the National Assembly on December 18, 2025.
According to him, “Now that we have resumed plenary, we will devote quality time to the scrutiny and passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill valued at N58.47 trillion. In both chambers, our committees are already looking deeply into the estimates of revenues and expenditures that President Bola Tinubu laid before the joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2025.
“The proposal is crucial to the growth, prosperity, and stability of our economy this year and even beyond, given its emphasis on consolidating the gains of the previous years.”
He said the passage of the budget would help strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve Nigeria’s global competitiveness and translate economic growth into tangible benefits for citizens, while restoring the January-to-December budget cycle.
“The budget, when it finally becomes effective, will further reinforce our collective resolve to guarantee our nation’s macroeconomic stability, deepen her global competitiveness and translate economic growth to decent jobs, rising incomes and a better quality of life across the federation.
“This will help us restore and maintain a budget cycle that annually starts from January and ends in December. Achieving these ends might be tough, perhaps unattainable, given the bottlenecks we have experienced before now,” he said.
Bamidele attributed the improved prospects for funding the 2026 budget to recent fiscal reforms, particularly the 2025 Tax Reform Act, which he said had restructured the fiscal system to reduce pressure on low-income earners while placing greater responsibility on wealthier citizens.
“Unlike previous years, we have significantly reformed our fiscal space to reflect our socio-economic realities. From the reforms of our fiscal space, we believe funding our budget will no longer be a challenge, and our budget deficit will definitely begin to shrink year by year,” he stated.
Beyond the budget, the senate leader said electoral reforms remained a top priority ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that lawmakers were determined to amend the Electoral Act to guarantee credible, transparent and secure polls.
He revealed that the proposed Electoral Bill, 2025, contains over 20 major reforms, including voting rights for inmates, early release of election funds to INEC, electronically generated voter identification, real-time transmission of results, uniform delegates for indirect primaries, stricter voter registration rules and stiffer penalties for electoral offences.
“Apart from the 2025 Appropriation Bill, we are prioritising the delivery of an electoral governance framework that will guarantee a credible and transparent process in the 2027 general elections. We have started the review of the Electoral Act, 2022, clause by clause, to achieve this end.
“The Bill introduces a system of consequences to our nation’s electoral regime. This provision forecloses the possibility of impunity when electoral offences are established,” he said.
On the constitutional amendment process, Bamidele said technical consultations and public hearings had been concluded, with the final report expected to be presented to the Senate soon.
“The review of the 1999 Constitution is also at its peak. Before the first quarter elapses, the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau Jibrin, will lay the report of the exercise before the Senate,” he assured.
He added that any amendments would still require the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, underscoring the critical role of state legislatures in the process.
Reflecting on the lifespan of the 10th National Assembly, Bamidele noted that only 16 months remained of its four-year tenure, pledging that lawmakers would intensify efforts on governance, electoral and economic reforms.
“At this highly critical time, when what happens in other parts of the world now dictates the direction of our economy and polity, the onus rests much more upon us than at any time in history to reinforce our constituents’ trust in their representatives, in the National Assembly and in their fatherland,” he said.
