President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 24 hours after its passage by the National Assembly on February 18, sparking sharp reactions from civil society groups, opposition parties and political stakeholders.
The controversy centres largely on the non-inclusion of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results to INEC’s IReV portal, a provision many reform advocates had pushed for ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A coalition of civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa, Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), ElectHER, Nigerian Women Trust Fund and TAF Africa, described the new law as a missed opportunity for transformative reform.
At a press conference in Abuja, TAF Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, Jake Epelle, said the law failed to strengthen transparency and eliminate ambiguities in the electoral process. He argued that the legislation left “dangerous loopholes” unaddressed, particularly regarding electronic transmission of results, compressed timelines for key electoral activities, a N50 million non-refundable administrative fee for new political party registration, and restrictions limiting party primaries to direct primaries or consensus.
The coalition also faulted the speed of presidential assent, saying concerns raised by civil society, professional bodies and some lawmakers were not sufficiently addressed before the bill was signed into law.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, questioned the rapid approval of the legislation, noting that the legitimacy of electoral reform depends on both its content and the credibility of the process that produces it. He warned that rushed reforms could erode public trust.
Despite their criticisms, the CSOs acknowledged some positive provisions in the new law, including Section 18, which allows downloadable voter cards from INEC’s website, and Section 9, which mandates disaggregation of the voter register by disability type. They also welcomed stricter penalties for result falsification, including a mandatory minimum 10-year jail term for returning officers who deliberately alter results.
Opposition voices were more critical. The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) described the assent as a missed historic opportunity to close structural loopholes, particularly a provision allowing presiding officers to rely on manual collation where electronic transmission is deemed impossible due to network failure.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) went further, alleging that the swift assent could undermine credible elections in 2027. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party claimed the law introduced ambiguities in the collation and transmission process and vowed to defend Nigeria’s democracy through constitutional means.
However, not all reactions were negative. The Convener of the Northern Stakeholders’ Consultative Initiative, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, praised Tinubu’s action as a demonstration of democratic commitment. He argued that provisions encouraging direct primaries would curb the influence of political “godfathers” and strengthen internal party democracy.
As debate continues, the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment now sets the legal framework for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with supporters describing it as an improvement on the 2022 law and critics warning that unresolved gaps could test public confidence in the electoral process.
