The Digest:
President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law, following its passage by the National Assembly on Tuesday after months of debate and amendments. The new Electoral Act governs the conduct of elections in Nigeria, including the much-debated provisions for electronic transmission of results. The House of Representatives had earlier rescinded its mandatory real-time transmission clause, adopting the Senate's version allowing manual backup when electronic transmission fails. The law also includes adjustments to election timelines, including reduction of notice period from 360 to 300 days to accommodate Ramadan concerns for the 2027 elections. The signing sets the legal framework for the 2027 general elections.
Key Points:
- The new Electoral Act provides the legal framework for the 2027 general elections.
- It entrenches the manual backup clause, allowing Form EC8A as primary source when technology fails.
- Voters face potential manipulation risks, while INEC gains clear operational guidelines.
- This signals the conclusion of months of legislative battles over electoral reforms.
- The timing, with presidential assent, finalises the contentious transmission provisions.
Tinubu's signing of the Electoral Act 2026 into law finalises the framework for 2027 elections, including the controversial manual backup clause for result transmission.
