Senate Pledges Credible 2027 Polls, Fast-tracks N58.47trn Budget as Clock Ticks

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The National Assembly, yesterday, declared that it will not betray the trust of Nigerians as it enters the final 16 months of its constitutionally guaranteed term.

It vowed to fast-track electoral reforms, pass a record N58.47 trillion 2026 budget, and conclude the long-running review of the 1999 Constitution.

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed these in a statement yesterday, ahead of today’s resumption of plenary.

Bamidele said the legislature was determined to consolidate far-reaching reforms already initiated and deliver people-centred governance before the end of the assembly’s tenure.

He stated that with only 16 months left out of the 48 months allotted by the constitution, time was no longer a luxury the parliament could afford.

He said the fast-changing global environment and its impact on Nigeria’s economy and politics made it imperative for the National Assembly to respond with speed, clarity, and foresight.

According to him, the lawmakers remain guided by the overriding duty to defend the national interest while pursuing reforms capable of repositioning Nigeria as a competitive and attractive destination for investment.

He stressed that beyond party affiliations, religious differences or constituency boundaries, members of the National Assembly were united by a shared mandate to build a cohesive nation, strengthen the economy and protect the republic.

“This mandate places on us a burden of trust that we struggle daily to defend and treasure never to breach,” he said, adding that history would ultimately judge the legislature by the quality and impact of its decisions.

Reviewing the performance of the assembly so far, the senate leader said the past 32 months had been devoted to sweeping reforms across critical sectors of the economy.

He explained that the goal of the reforms was to recalibrate Nigeria from an extraction-dependent economy to a diversified, productivity-driven and globally competitive state.

He assured Nigerians that the same reformist spirit would guide legislative actions as plenary sessions resumed in earnest.

Top on the agenda of the National Assembly, according to Bamidele, was the scrutiny and passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill estimated at N58.47 trillion.

He described the budget as crucial to economic growth, stability and prosperity, particularly in consolidating gains recorded in previous years and restoring a January-to-December budget cycle.

He said the enactment of the 2025 Tax Reform Act had introduced a more progressive tax regime that reduced the burden on low-income earners while placing greater responsibility on high-income earners.

Bamidele added that the reforms were expected to shrink Nigeria’s budget deficit gradually and enhance macroeconomic stability.

Equally central to the legislature’s agenda was the delivery of a credible electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general election, he said.

Bamidele disclosed that lawmakers were reviewing the Electoral Act, 2022 clause by clause, building on the proposed Electoral Bill, 2025, which he said contained no fewer than 20 major innovations.

Among them were provisions granting voting rights to prisoners, mandating the release of election funds to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at least one year ahead of polls, and introducing electronically generated voter identification with QR codes.

On vote buying, Bamidele said the bill recommended fines of up to N5 million, jail terms, and a 10-year ban from contesting elections, signalling a clear end to impunity.

In addition, the senate leader confirmed that the review of the 1999 Constitution had reached an advanced stage, with technical sessions completed and reports of public hearings submitted.

He said Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, would soon lay the report before Senate, after which lawmakers would debate and vote on the proposals.