ABUJA — The House of Representatives has defended the newly assented Electoral Act 2026, stating that although the legislation may be “imperfect,” it was enacted in strict compliance with constitutional and parliamentary procedures and reflects the collective will of the National Assembly.
The defence comes amid growing criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), civil society organisations, and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), who warned that unresolved loopholes in the law could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a briefing in Abuja, House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi, dismissed claims that lawmakers ignored public opinion in adopting key provisions, particularly on the electronic transmission of election results. He maintained that due legislative process was followed throughout the amendment of the 2022 Electoral Act.
According to him, the revised law now expressly mandates the use of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal and electronic transmission of Form EC8A by presiding officers, with manual transmission allowed only as a fallback where electronic systems fail.
Rotimi also explained that the conference committee constituted to harmonise differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill acted within its mandate, stressing that compromise was necessary in reaching a final draft acceptable to both chambers.
However, opposition to the law continues to mount. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused President Bola Tinubu of weakening democratic credibility by signing the amendment despite widespread objections from stakeholders.
The party further alleged that ambiguity in the provisions governing the collation and transmission of election results could erode transparency in future elections, warning that Nigerians may be compelled to physically safeguard their votes to prevent discrepancies between polling units and collation centres.
Similarly, a coalition of civil society groups, including the Centre for Media and Society, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, Yiaga Africa, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, and TAF Africa, described the legislation as a missed opportunity for transformative reform.
The groups raised concerns over the fallback clause in Section 63, warning that it could become the norm rather than the exception due to Nigeria’s history of discretionary abuse in election administration. They also criticised the imposition of a N50 million administrative fee for political party registration, arguing that it may stifle youth participation and restrict freedom of association.
On its part, the MBF said the amended law had effectively returned Nigeria’s electoral process “to square one,” citing ambiguity over whether electronically transmitted results or manually uploaded copies would take precedence in the event of legal disputes.
MBF National President, Bitrus Pogu, urged the Presidency and the National Assembly to revisit the law to address gaps that could expose the process to manipulation.
The debate comes as stakeholders continue to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a public simulation of its electronic transmission system ahead of the 2027 polls to identify and address potential operational challenges.
