President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unveiled the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The signing ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja around 5:00 p.m., in the presence of principal officers of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had passed the bill on Tuesday following deliberations that reignited controversy over the electronic transmission of election results.
The amendment has once again brought to the fore debates surrounding real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s central server.
Civil society organisations and opposition figures have consistently advocated mandatory live transmission, arguing that it would reduce electoral manipulation and enhance transparency. Their demands intensified after the 2023 general elections, when INEC’s Results Viewing Portal experienced technical failures, leading to widespread allegations of irregularities.
Just last week, protesters stormed the National Assembly complex, calling for stronger legal guarantees for electronic result transmission in the amended law.
While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed support for the adoption of technology in elections, some stakeholders have argued for a phased or hybrid approach.
They cite poor telecommunications infrastructure in certain parts of the country as a reason to retain manual collation as a backup where electronic systems fail.
The newly signed amendment now sets the legal framework for the 2027 polls, scheduled for February 20 for Presidential and National Assembly elections, and March 6 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
With the law now in force, attention is expected to shift to INEC’s implementation strategy and how the revised provisions will shape the credibility of Nigeria’s next general elections.