President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The signing took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, around 5:00 p.m., with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance. The National Assembly had passed the bill the previous day.
The amendment has reignited debates over the electronic transmission of election results, a key demand of civil society groups and opposition figures. Advocates have long pushed for real-time transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s central server, arguing that it would curb manipulation and enhance credibility.
Protesters disrupted the National Assembly last week, demanding live transmission after failures during the 2023 elections, when INEC’s Results Viewing Portal collapsed, triggering widespread allegations of rigging.
While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) supports the adoption of technology, some stakeholders caution that areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure may require a phased or hybrid approach, allowing manual collation where electronic systems fail.
The 2027 general elections are scheduled for February 20 (Presidential and National Assembly elections) and March 6 (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections).
