Electoral Act 2026: Bola Tinubu stands by assent as opposition erupts

Opposition parties and civil society organisations have condemned President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment), describing the move as a setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress and a legalisation of electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party, on Wednesday, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress’s fear of losing the upcoming elections drove what is called the rushed approval of the contentious legislation, which the party described as a threat to the country’s democratic process.

President Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law around 5pm on Wednesday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, with senior National Assembly officials in attendance.

It came barely 24 hours after the bill was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

During the ceremony, Tinubu raised concerns about Nigeria’s current broadband infrastructure and technical capacity to handle real-time electronic transmission of election results, even as he signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law.

But in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP called the development “a dark day for democracy.”

He stated, “The hurried grant of presidential assent to the contentious bill, as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, despite widespread opposition from Nigerians, confirms that this was a well-choreographed drama by the APC.

“The party’s fear of inevitable defeat in a free and fair election is palpable, and they can no longer conceal it. This is indeed a sad day for democracy.

“The Nigerian people have been dealt a bad hand, one that existentially threatens democratic governance. The President has demonstrated an inability to rise above partisanship in the art of governance.”

The bill, which was approved by the National Assembly on Tuesday, has generated significant debate, especially over provisions for real-time electronic transmission of election results, a key demand by opposition parties, civil society groups, and election observers following widespread allegations of result manipulation during the 2023 general elections.

The signing occurred days after the Independent National Electoral Commission released the timetable for the 2027 general elections, intensifying concerns among opposition stakeholders that the amendment was designed to favour the ruling party.

The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, described the bill as “a step backward rather than a reform.”

He said, “First, this bill that was passed, it is an absolute missed opportunity for transformative electoral reforms because it fails to address critical gaps. It signals a regression.

“So, it is a reform in name and a regression in substance. I wish that the President had rejected the bill and asked the legislators to go and fix some aspects of the bill.”

He also criticised provisions related to INEC’s independence and electronic transmission of results, saying, “When you look at electronic transmission of results, the provision adopted by the National Assembly is completely against what citizens demanded because what they have done is they have made the process more vulnerable to manipulation.

“So, I say that this particular bill signals a regression in substance. And we cannot call these reforms.”

Meanwhile, the Country Director of Accountability Lab, Friday Odeh, described the amendments as a potential threat to election integrity.

Odeh stated, “There is a huge danger of rigging. We know there has been progress made, but again, for me, it looks like a huge reversal of the progress that has been made. And this is legalising rigging in a very formal way.”

However, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, offered a more measured perspective, acknowledging that while the law was not perfect, it provided a framework for future improvement.

“Well, as it is now, since the National Assembly and the President did not yield to the call by Nigerians to ensure that we have electoral law that is acceptable by us, improve the electoral transparency and boost confidence of Nigerians to even participate in the election, I think whatever it is, we just have to manage with what we have now.

“We just have to accept this law and continue to advocate for an improved electoral law in Nigeria,” Musa explained.

The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives also condemned what it called the hurried assent granted to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 by President Tinubu.

The plenary of the House was on Tuesday turned into a rowdy session over the bill as opposition lawmakers teamed up against their All Progressives Congress counterparts in demanding, among others, the electronic transmission of election results without a proviso.

The controversy had intensified following the release of the timetable for the 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Last week protests rocked the National Assembly complex, with civil society organisations and opposition figures demanding that the law mandate live electronic transmission of results from polling units directly to the commission’s central server.

They argued that such a provision would reduce manipulation and enhance transparency.

However, members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and other stakeholders expressed reservations about the technical feasibility of real-time transmission in areas with limited telecommunications infrastructure, advocating a phased or hybrid approach that would allow manual collation where electronic systems fail.

Despite an overwhelming rejection of the altered version, which recognised both electronic transmission and manual transmission in the event of the failure of technology, the APC lawmakers voted in the majority, forcing the opposition to stage a walkout.

Reacting to President Tinubu’s assent to the legislation, leader of the caucus, Mr Afam Ogene, said he wondered why the development took place at the speed of light.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Anambra lawmaker said, “It is quite interesting that, even before the ink with which the parliament crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s on the clean copies of the bill dried up, the President has gleefully put his imprimatur on the bill, leaving Nigerians to wonder if, indeed, the executive had ample time to look through the document.”

He added, “Gone with the signing are the genuine concerns of apprehensive Nigerians regarding what the new Act portends to the integrity of the country’s future elections.

“In fact, Nigerians and indeed the world must now begin to see the clear difference between campaign promises and actual motives of political players.

“While it is convenient outside the confines of power to oppose incremental increase in the price of petroleum products, it is convenient to pronounce ‘subsidy gone’ when they have the opportunity.”

The lawmaker said while it is right to advocate electronic voting in 2013, it has become obtuse, 13 years after, to canvass a fragment of it: electronic transmission of results.

He explained, “While it was convenient to ask a sitting administration to quit, on account of an alleged inability to halt the spread of insecurity, today, under their watch and allure of office, insecurity of multivarious form have become an insistent by-word.

“For emphasis, on January 13, 2013, the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, had in a statement said, ‘We assure INEC of our full support towards using electronic voting in 2015. We also appeal to all other political parties, civil society organisations and indeed all Nigerians to join us in pushing for a system that will eliminate the role of thugs and sideline vote thieves during our elections, in addition to making our elections free, fair and credible.’

“Today, 13 years afterward, neither Mohammed, who moved on to become Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture for eight years, and his principal, who is now our country’s current leader, see anything worthy in electronic transmission of results, much more electronic voting.

“Now that they have had their way, we call upon Nigerians not to despair. On the contrary, the battle for our country’s redemption has only just begun.”

He pledged the readiness of the LP House of Representatives caucus to mobilise Nigerians to reject any compromise of the electoral system.

“As an opposition bloc, we certainly have our job cut out: the mobilisation of fellow Nigerians to reject, at the polls, those who specialise in asking them to do only as they say, instead of living by their own creed,” he added.

The Coalition of United Political Parties also criticised the President and the National Assembly for undermining the will of Nigerians by amending the Electoral Act to allow manual transmission of election results, despite Nigerians demand for mandatory electronic transmission.

CUPP National Secretary, Peter Ameh in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH described the move as a blatant disregard for the aspirations of citizens who hope to vote out the current leadership in 2027.

He stated, “President has been collaborating with the National Assembly all along to undermine the wishes and aspirations of our citizens.

“The effort for a mandatory electronic transmission of election results had already been approved, but they were attempting, using their majority, to brazenly act in disregard of the people.

“Democracy is not built around elective officials; it is built around the citizens.”

Ameh said after prior consultation with all zones, it was agreed that electronic transmission should be mandatory.

Yet, resources were spent on charades, traveling from one zone to another, pretending to act transparently and truthfully for the benefit of the election, only to reverse provisions that would have strengthened the electoral process, he stated.

“The President quickly signed the Electoral Act into law after working with the National Assembly to include manual transmission, against the demand of many Nigerians, instead of mandating only electronic transmission of results,” he asserted.

According to Ameh, the new mandate for electronic and real-time transmission of results will empower more Nigerians and strengthen the electoral process against rigging, and they will be voted out in 2027.