BREAKING: Tinubu signs electoral Bill into Law
President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The signing ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, at about 5:00 p.m., with principal officers of the National Assembly of Nigeria in attendance, our correspondent observed.
The National Assembly had on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill following weeks of debate and consideration.
The amendment comes amid intense public discourse over the electronic transmission of election results in real time.
Last week, protests were staged at the National Assembly complex by civil society organisations and some opposition figures who urged lawmakers to make the live transmission of results from polling units directly to INEC’s central server mandatory. The groups argued that real-time electronic transmission would reduce opportunities for result manipulation and enhance the credibility of the electoral process.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress and some other stakeholders have raised concerns over the technical feasibility of real-time transmission in areas with limited telecommunications infrastructure. They have advocated a phased or hybrid approach that permits manual collation where electronic systems fail.
During the 2023 general elections, technical challenges with INEC’s Results Viewing Portal fueled widespread allegations of irregularities.
According to INEC’s timetable, the 2027 general elections are scheduled to hold on February 20 for Presidential and National Assembly elections, and on March 6 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
