Senate marks midterm with focus on electoral, constitutional, judicial reforms
Senate marks midterm with focus on electoral, constitutional, judicial reforms
By Ndukaku Ihe
The Senate has vowed to prioritise far-reaching electoral reforms, a renewed focus on constitutional review and judicial reform ahead of 2027 general elections.
He said the planned electoral reforms are intended to ensure every vote continues to count; guarantee good governance in the country and make participation in the electoral process more interesting for the decent and innocent citizens.
The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Sunday, outlined the midterm legislative milestones of the upper chamber between June 13, 2023 and June 12, 2025, noting that 983 bills were introduced within the period, adding that 108 of them were fully passed into law.
Bamidele said: “As the second half of the 10th National Assembly takes off in earnest, we assure all Nigerians that reforms of the country’s electoral system, review of the 1999 Constitution, and judicial reforms are key priority areas that will receive significant attention.
“When you know that if you contest for an election, your vote will definitely count, this assurance will make democracy more interesting for our people, enhance voters’ participation in the process and make our electoral process more credible and transparent.”
The Senate Leader revealed that in the 2024/2025 legislative year alone, the chamber initiated 506 bills, marking a 6.07% increase from the 477 initiated in 2023/2024. Of these, 83 were passed into law in the most recent year, compared to 25 in the previous year—a 232% increase.
He also noted a significant rise in executive bills considered—from 13 in 2023/2024 to 26 in 2024/2025—alongside an increase in private-member bills, from 464 to 480 within the same period. The chamber confirmed 215 appointments in the 2023/2024 legislative year and 116 in the following year, while the number of petitions successfully resolved grew from 50 to 80.
Among the key laws enacted are the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023; Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; National Minimum Wage Amendment Act, 2024; Investments and Securities Act, 2025; Regional Development Commission (Establishment) Acts, 2025; and various Tax Reform Bills, 2025.
Bamidele highlighted the Student Loan Act as a turning point in tertiary education access, saying data from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund shows over 1 million students have applied for the scheme, with more than half a million institutional loans granted and an almost equal number of upkeep loans processed.
“The student loan scheme has significantly crashed the number of dropouts across the federation. Without purposeful collaboration, it would not have come through,” he said.
Commenting on the passage of the Tax Reform Bills, Bamidele said it reflected the Senate’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s fiscal challenges.
“These reforms aim to eliminate structural inefficiencies in tax administration, simplify obligations, boost investor confidence, and catalyse growth.”
On judicial reforms, he noted that the Senate already has several pending bills focused on the judiciary’s structure and operations. “Some seek a review of how judges and judicial officers are appointed, others focus on their length of service and welfare.”
AbeyaNews reports that the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 13, 2023.
