Nigeria’s National Assembly has unveiled sweeping reforms to the country’s electoral framework, including a mandatory two-year prison term for any Resident Electoral Commissioner who withholds key election documents and the creation of a dedicated fund to guarantee the financial autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
The changes, contained in the Electoral Act 2026 and signed into law last week by President Bola Tinubu, were outlined on Sunday by the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele. Lawmakers described the legislation as the product of two years of consultations with electoral officials, civil society organisations and development partners.
But the reforms have already drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, who argue that provisions governing party primaries, campaign finance and election timelines favour the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). The presidency and ruling party have rejected those claims, insisting the amendments are necessary to deepen democracy and strengthen electoral integrity.
Bamidele said critics were overlooking what he called the substantive gains of the new regime. Among them is a statutory requirement that INEC deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, maintain an electronic register of voters and enforce stiffer sanctions against electoral malpractice.
Under section 3 of the Act, a dedicated fund has been established for INEC to ensure financial and operational independence, with election funds to be released at least six months before a general election. The move is intended to shield the commission from last-minute budgetary uncertainty and executive pressure.
The law also introduces criminal liability for electoral officials who obstruct transparency. Section 74(1) mandates that a Resident Electoral Commissioner must release a certified true copy of requested documents within 24 hours of payment. Failure to do so carries a minimum two-year prison term without the option of a fine.
Similarly, section 72(2) provides that where INEC fails or neglects to issue a certificate of return to a candidate declared winner by a court, a certified true copy of the court order will suffice for swearing-in — a provision aimed at preventing administrative delays from frustrating judicial outcomes.
Penalties for electoral offences have been stiffened. Vote-buying, impersonation and result manipulation now attract a two-year prison term or fines ranging from N500,000 to N2m upon conviction.
The Act also overhauls internal party processes. Indirect primaries — long criticised for entrenching delegate monetisation — have been scrapped. Only direct and consensus primaries are permitted under section 84. Political parties must maintain digital membership registers and submit them to INEC at least 21 days before any primary, congress or convention. Failure to comply renders a party ineligible to field candidates in that election.
“These are consequential restraint measures that will deepen internal democracy and reduce the monetisation of politics,” Bamidele said.
Campaign spending limits have been significantly revised upward. The presidential cap rises from N5bn to N10bn; governorship contests from N1bn to N3bn; Senate races from N500m to N1bn; and House of Representatives seats from N70m to N250m. State assembly, area council and councillorship ceilings have also been increased.
Bamidele defended the harmonisation of the bill — particularly over the previously contentious clause 60(3) — as necessary to avoid constitutional friction in the run-up to 2027. He said the speed of presidential assent reflected prior executive involvement in drafting, rather than haste.
“The outcome is not a unilateral effort of the parliament, but of Nigerians at large,” he said, citing consultations with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, civil society groups and INEC.
The legislation also includes provisions designed to broaden inclusion, such as gender-sensitive queue arrangements in areas where cultural practice requires separation of men and women, and support mechanisms for voters with visual impairments. Political parties that fail to submit accurate audited returns face fines of up to N10m.
Yet controversy persists. Opposition figures contend that while the law expands INEC’s funding guarantees and stiffens penalties for misconduct, its revisions to party processes and spending caps could entrench incumbency advantages.
For its authors, however, the Act represents consolidation rather than rupture — a recalibration of Nigeria’s electoral architecture rather than a wholesale reinvention. As Bamidele put it, the 2026 law seeks to “enhance electoral credibility, reduce disputes and strengthen democratic governance”.
Whether it achieves those aims may become clear only when Nigerians return to the polls in 2027.
