President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law at the State House in Abuja, formalising a significant revision of Nigeria’s electoral legal framework as the country prepares for its 2027 general elections.
The bill, which was passed by the National Assembly earlier this week, received presidential assent at about 5 p.m. with principal officers of both chambers of the National Assembly in attendance.
The amendments repeal and replace the previous Electoral Act 2022, introducing changes affecting election timelines, procedures and administrative elements of Nigeria’s electoral system. Key among the revisions is the clause on electronic transmission of results, a highly contentious issue during parliamentary debates.
The final version of the Act gives the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discretion over how results are transmitted, including electronic systems, while retaining provisions that permit manual collation where electronic transmission fails due to network or infrastructure constraints.
The signing comes just days after INEC released its timetable for the 2027 general elections, scheduling the Presidential and National Assembly polls for February 20, 2027, and Governorship and State Assembly elections for March 6, 2027. With the new law in force, INEC is expected to issue updated procedural guidelines reflecting the amended provisions.
Controversy Surrounding Act
The legislative journey to enactment was marked by intense debate and public protest over electoral transparency and technology adoption. Civil society organisations, opposition figures and youth activists had called for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units to INEC’s central server, arguing it would curb manipulation and bolster confidence in the electoral process. Those protests at the National Assembly complex underscored deep public interest in electoral reforms.
However, lawmakers and ruling party stakeholders raised concerns about the feasibility of real-time electronic transmission in areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure. They favoured a hybrid approach that acknowledges these practical limitations.
The final version of the Act reflects this compromise, prompting both praise and criticism across the political spectrum.
