Opposition parties and civil society organisations have condemned President Bola Tinubu’s swift assent to the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment), warning that the legislation risks reversing hard-won democratic gains and formalising loopholes that could be exploited in the 2027 general elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the move as a “dark day for democracy”, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pushing through a controversial reform out of fear of electoral defeat.
Tinubu signed the amended Act into law at about 5pm on Wednesday at the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja, with senior officials of the National Assembly in attendance. The signing came less than 24 hours after both chambers passed the bill, fuelling accusations of undue haste and political choreography.
At the ceremony, Tinubu expressed reservations about Nigeria’s capacity for real-time electronic transmission of election results, citing inadequate broadband infrastructure and technical constraints.
“Maybe Nigeria should question our broadband capability,” he said. “How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call of either real-time or not.”
But in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the president’s assent confirmed that the amendment was a deliberate attempt to weaken electoral safeguards.
“The hurried grant of presidential assent to the contentious bill … despite widespread opposition from Nigerians, confirms that this was a well-choreographed drama by the APC,” Ememobong said.
“The party’s fear of inevitable defeat in a free and fair election is palpable. This is indeed a sad day for democracy.”
The amendment has provoked fierce debate, particularly over provisions that allow electronic transmission of results while retaining manual collation as a fallback in the event of technical failure — a compromise that critics say reopens the door to manipulation.
The controversy has been heightened by the recent release of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timetable for the 2027 elections, with opposition figures claiming the timing and content of the new law suggest it was designed to favour the incumbents.
Samson Itodo, executive director of the election advocacy group YIAGA Africa, said the bill was “a missed opportunity” and amounted to reform “in name and regression in substance”.
“When you look at electronic transmission of results, the provision adopted by the National Assembly is completely against what citizens demanded,” he said. “What they have done is they have made the process more vulnerable to manipulation.”
Friday Odeh, country director of Accountability Lab, warned that the amendments could undermine electoral integrity.
“There is a huge danger of rigging,” he said. “This is legalising rigging in a very formal way.”
Others urged a more pragmatic response. Auwal Musa, executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, said that while the law fell short of public expectations, advocacy for deeper reform would have to continue.
“Whatever it is, we just have to manage with what we have now,” he said. “We just have to accept this law and continue to advocate for an improved electoral law in Nigeria.”
The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives also condemned the speed of Tinubu’s assent, noting that lawmakers had only concluded deliberations a day earlier after a rowdy session in which opposition legislators demanded a mandatory, unconditional electronic transmission clause.
Its leader, Afam Ogene, questioned whether the executive had properly reviewed the bill before signing.
“Even before the ink … dried up, the President has gleefully put his imprimatur on the bill,” Ogene said, “leaving Nigerians to wonder if, indeed, the executive had ample time to look through the document.”
He argued that the new law marked a stark departure from earlier APC rhetoric on electoral reforms, citing a 2013 statement by the then Action Congress of Nigeria spokesperson, Lai Mohammed, endorsing electronic voting.
“Today, 13 years afterward … they see nothing worthy in electronic transmission of results, much more electronic voting,” Ogene said, adding: “The battle for our country’s redemption has only just begun.”
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) accused Tinubu and lawmakers of disregarding public opinion. Its national secretary, Peter Ameh, said the amendment represented a “blatant disregard” for citizens who hoped to vote out the current leadership in 2027.
“Democracy is not built around elective officials; it is built around the citizens,” he said.
Supporters of the amendment, however, insist it strikes a realistic balance between technological ambition and Nigeria’s uneven infrastructure.
Senate president Godswill Akpabio said the revised Act would reduce result manipulation between polling units and collation centres, while still recognising the challenges of network coverage.
“We took cognisance of areas where there may not be any network,” Akpabio said, adding that signed polling unit result forms would remain the primary reference point and uploaded results could be transmitted once officials reached areas with connectivity.
He claimed the change would allow Nigerians to compare results uploaded to INEC’s portal with those collated at ward, local government and state levels, making tampering easier to detect.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen said the amendment also reduced the election notice period from 360 days to 300, which could shift elections away from Ramadan and reduce voter apathy.
Under INEC’s timetable, presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 20 February 2027, while governorship and state assembly polls are expected on 6 March.
Meanwhile, the minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike, praised Tinubu’s quick assent as proof of commitment to electoral credibility, arguing that the amended law would end what he called “unnecessary protests” by those “preparing excuses for electoral defeat”.
“Democracy has always been a work in progress,” Wike said, “and by always looking into the Electoral Act with a view to strengthening our democratic process, it is sure that we will keep getting it better.”
