Nigeria House Passes Electoral Act Amendments on Jurisdiction, Tech Service

Nigeria's House of Representatives passed amendments to the Electoral Act on Wednesday, clarifying court jurisdiction for pre-election disputes and introducing technology-enabled methods for serving election petitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The measures, adopted during a plenary session in the Committee of the Whole presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, followed the consideration of a report from the House Committee on Electoral Matters. Lawmakers had earlier approved two related bills at second reading. Adebayo Balogun, chairman of the committee, presented the reforms, which aim to resolve longstanding issues of procedural delays, jurisdictional ambiguities, and inefficiencies in physical service of court documents.

One amendment revises Section 298 of the Act, requiring candidates to submit both physical addresses and electronic contact details, such as email addresses and phone numbers, with their nomination forms. It permits service of election petitions through personal delivery, registered post, email, SMS, or other approved digital means. Service is deemed effective upon proof of transmission, including electronic delivery confirmations or...