The Joint Committee on Electoral Matters has proposed reducing the salaries of Nigerian legislators and executive members to cut costs.
The committee suggested a 30% cut for legislators and a 40% cut for executives.
This proposal was made on Monday during an interactive session with the Judiciary and political parties, led by Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, as part of the National Assembly’s review and amendment of the Electoral Act 2022.
During the meeting, political parties also recommended that all elections—presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and State Houses of Assembly—should be held on a single day. They believe that the current system of staggered elections is not cost-effective.
Additionally, the parties proposed linking continuous voter registration to the National Identity Number for better security and cost savings during the voter registration process.
Among the 35 proposals presented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council Chair, the parties also suggested that the appointment of the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman should not be handled by the executive. Instead, they proposed that the position be advertised to allow interested parties to apply.
The Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, promised to engage with INEC and Nigerians widely to gather feedback. He said: “This approach would help minimize disruptions and ensure smooth, dispute-free elections in the future.”
