The Senate has begun deliberations on a critical legislative effort to overhaul the Electricity Act, 2023, as it considered the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sponsored by Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South).

In a fiery and emotionally charged session, on Tuesday, it declared an all-out legislative war against Ponzi schemes and other financial scams that have defrauded millions of Nigerians and destabilised the economy.

This was as the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, has called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing Constitution Review process.

However, on the House’s special seat bill, the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, at an interactive session during the 2025 Open National Assembly Week, yesterday, said allocating special seats to women in state and federal parliaments should not be viewed from the prism of charity, as it would strengthen the country’s democracy.

Review of the electricity law, Abaribe said, became imperative to ensure a timely conclusion of the amendment process. The proposed amendments at the Senate aim to rescue the country’s power sector from looming collapse by strengthening legal, institutional, and regulatory frameworks amid staggering sectoral debts and persistent infrastructure sabotage.

Leading the debate, Sen Abaribe described the amendment as a timely and necessary legislative intervention to correct ambiguities, prevent legal inconsistencies between federal and state electricity laws, and improve coordination in the wake of the 2023 Constitution amendment that devolved electricity powers to the states.

“This bill addresses the reality that the Nigerian power sector is hanging on a cliff. With trillions of naira in sector-wide debts and operational bottlenecks, we must act fast to prevent a total system breakdown,” Abaribe warned.

He listed the key objectives of the amendment to include a proposal for 28 amendment clauses; enhance regulatory coordination between national and subnational governments; criminalise electricity infrastructure vandalism; clarify transitional regulatory roles between NERC and states; restructure the Power Consumer Assistance Fund for targeted subsidies; define host community engagement frameworks; strengthen industrial relations while respecting essential service obligations and streamline and clarify several operational sections of the existing act.

The legislation also proposes the formal establishment of a Forum of Electricity Regulators; recognises the National Electric Power Policy Council; and updates statutory funding mechanisms for NEMSA and N-HYPPADEC.

Many senators supported the bill, describing it as “revolutionary”, “urgent” and “foundational” for energy stability in Nigeria. On a concluding note, Abaribe clarified that the amendment would not impose additional financial burdens on the Federal Government. Instead, it offers a cost-saving path by plugging loopholes and resetting the power sector’s legal and operational foundation.

The bill has passed its second reading and is expected to proceed to the Senate Committee on Power for further legislative action. Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave the committee six weeks to revert.

Leading the charge, Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East) described the epidemic of financial scams as a “socio-economic cancer” that preys on the most vulnerable. He warned that fraudulent schemes not only rob Nigerians of their life savings but also send many to their early graves.

“These schemes exploit vulnerable and gullible citizens. It is not enough to amend laws; we must strengthen them decisively,” Abiru declared.

“This Senate has a moral duty to shut the doors these fraudsters are using to enter Nigerian homes.”

The motion, which was unanimously adopted, mandated a comprehensive investigative hearing by a joint committee of the Senate, targeting Ponzi schemes and the regulatory lapses that enable them. The committee is expected to report its findings in four weeks.

Speaking during the 2025 National Assembly Open Week at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on Tuesday, Ogundoyin emphasised the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s constitutional framework through inclusive and transparent legislative engagement.

“We respectfully urge the National Assembly to sustain the momentum of the Constitution Review process. Any loss of this momentum, however unintended, risks diminishing the impact and relevance of the reforms. A timely conclusion will enable amendments to be implemented well ahead of the next general elections.”

He lauded the House of Representatives and the broader leadership of the National Assembly for preserving the Open Week tradition, a platform he described as a bold commitment to openness, transparency, and participatory democracy.

Representing speakers from all 36 Houses of Assembly, Ogundoyin reaffirmed the commitment of state legislatures to partner with the National Assembly in advancing constitutional reforms that reflect the evolving realities of Nigerian society.

The conference chair reiterated the importance of inter-legislative cooperation between federal and state arms, noting that democratic stability relies heavily on the independence and vibrancy of legislative institutions.
Ogundoyin thanked the National Assembly for the invitation to participate in the Open Week, expressing hope for deeper engagement and concrete outcomes that would reinforce democratic governance and enrich the nation’s constitutional order.

She pledged to continue supporting interventions that promote women’s political empowerment, education and economic inclusion, urging legislators to demonstrate official eagerness to ease the passage of the bill.