The Nigerian Senate has defended the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, describing it as a comprehensive reform package aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and institutional independence in the country’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections. Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the law was the product of two years of consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Office of the Attorney-General, civil society groups and development partners. President Bola Tinubu assented to the bill within 24 hours of its transmission.
Bamidele said the Act guarantees greater financial autonomy for INEC by establishing a dedicated fund under Section 3 and mandating the release of election funds at least six months before general elections. He added that the law makes the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) compulsory for voter accreditation and provides for mandatory electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The legislation also introduces penalties to safeguard the integrity of the process. Presiding officers who deliberately frustrate electronic transmission of results face a six-month jail term or a ₦500,000 fine, while electoral offences such as vote buying, impersonation and result manipulation attract up to two years’ imprisonment or fines of up to ₦2 million. Resident Electoral Commissioners are required to release certified documents within 24 hours of payment or risk a minimum two-year jail term without the option of a fine.
In a major change, the Act abolishes indirect primaries, allowing only direct and consensus methods for political parties. Parties must now maintain digital membership registers and submit them to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, failing which they risk disqualification from fielding candidates. Campaign spending limits were also significantly increased, with the presidential cap raised to ₦10 billion and governorship to ₦3 billion.
According to Bamidele, the law also strengthens inclusivity by providing support for persons with visual impairment and permitting gender-based queue arrangements where culturally required. He said the reforms consolidate Nigeria’s electoral framework by enhancing INEC’s independence, promoting technological integration with safeguards, tightening regulation of political parties and reducing potential disputes in future elections.
