Tinubu Signs Amended Electoral Act 2026 Into Law

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.

The signing took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, around 5:00 pm on Wednesday, with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance.

The National Assembly had passed the bill on Tuesday.

The Senate on Tuesday approved electronic transmission of electoral results, with manual collation retained as a backup.

The president assented the bill at the State House on Wednesday in the presence of top government officials, including the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Speaking after he signed the bill, Tinubu said the essence of democracy is to have very solid discussions committed to national development and nation-building, essential for the stability of the nation, adding that it was high time Nigerians had confidence in their system.

“It’s not as important as the history aspects of this. What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and that we are all going to see democracy flourish.

“No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” he said.

Weighing in on the ongoing debates over the transmission of election results, the president said, “In fact, for final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you are going to be talking to human beings who will announce the final results.

“And when you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call in real-time or not?

“And as long as you appear personally, as a manual voter in any polling booth, a ballot paper is given to you manually, you decide in a corner and thumbprint the passing of your choice, you cast your votes, without hindrance and any interference, ballots are subsequently counted manually, sorted, and counted manually.

“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. It’s the manual, essentially. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at.

“And we need to avoid glitches — I’m glad you did — interference, unnecessary hacking in this age of computer inquisitiveness.

“Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfillment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country,” the President added.

Civil society groups and some opposition figures have long pushed for real-time transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s central server, arguing it would curb manipulation and strengthen credibility.

Protesters had last week disrupted the National Assembly complex to demand live transmission, citing failures during the 2023 elections when INEC’s Results Viewing Portal collapsed, triggering widespread allegations of rigging.

While the ruling All Progressives Congress supports technology adoption, some stakeholders argue that areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure require a phased or hybrid approach, allowing manual collation where electronic systems fail.