President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 Amendment Bill into law, marking a significant update to Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general election.
The bill was signed on Wednesday around 5:00 pm at the State House, shortly after it was passed by the National Assembly following months of debate and review by both chambers. Senior lawmakers were present at the signing ceremony.
Speaking after appending his signature, Tinubu praised the legislature for what he described as solid and constructive discussions aimed at strengthening democratic stability and national development.
“The essence of democracy is to have very solid brainstorming discussions committed to national development and nation building, the stability of the nation,” the president said.
He stressed that while the amendment carries historical weight, the priority remains ensuring that the electoral process does not create confusion or disenfranchise voters.
“No matter how good a system is, it is managed by the people, promoted by the people, and result is finalised by the people,” Tinubu said. “For final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer. You are going to be talking to human beings who announce the results.”
The president addressed the ongoing national debate over real-time electronic transmission of results. He called for a realistic assessment of Nigeria’s technological capacity, particularly broadband infrastructure across the country.
“When you look at the crux of various agreements, maybe Nigeria should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow?” he asked.
Tinubu maintained that the voting process itself remains largely manual. According to him, voters will still appear physically at polling units, receive ballot papers, thumbprint their preferred candidates and cast their votes directly. Ballots will continue to be sorted and counted manually, while only the final figures will be entered into official forms for transmission.
“Essentially, the transmission of that manual result is what we are looking at, and we need to avoid glitches,” he said, warning against unnecessary digital interference in a period of intense public scrutiny.
He expressed optimism about the country’s democratic journey, stating that Nigeria will continue to nurture its democracy toward prosperity and long-term stability.
“Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfilment of our dream for prosperity and stability of our country,” he said.
The passage of the amendment followed an emergency plenary session in the Senate on Tuesday, during which lawmakers rescinded an earlier version of the bill to introduce key changes affecting the 2027 election timetable.
One major concern was a 360-day notice requirement in Clause 28, which lawmakers said could push the scheduling of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections into the Ramadan period. The adjustment was made after further review.
Debate also centred on the issue of electronic transmission of election results. The Senate had initially rejected compulsory real-time electronic transmission, sparking public backlash and protests at the National Assembly complex.
Following reconsideration during its February 10 plenary, lawmakers approved the electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, known as IReV. However, the amendment stops short of mandating real-time uploads.
Under the new provision, electronic transmission is permitted but not compulsory. Where network or communication challenges disrupt the process, the manually completed EC8A result form will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
The amendment seeks to strike a balance between technological innovation and practical realities, as Nigeria prepares for the next general election cycle.
Get Social! Follow us
