BREAKING: Tinubu Assents to 2026 Electoral Act, Sets Stage for 2027 Elections

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

BREAKING: Tinubu Assents to 2026 Electoral Act, Sets Stage for 2027 Elections

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment into law, setting the legal framework for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas in attendance.

The new law, formally known as the 2026 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, was recently harmonised and passed by both chambers of the National Assembly amid debate and opposition from minority lawmakers.

The legislative process leading to the signing saw intense deliberations in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Lawmakers constituted a joint conference committee to reconcile differences between their respective versions of the bill before transmitting the harmonised document to the President for assent. Earlier, Senate President Akpabio had indicated during an emergency plenary session that the President was expected to sign the amended bill before the end of February. That projection materialised within days.

One of the most significant changes introduced by the 2026 Electoral Act is the reduction of the mandatory notice period for general elections from 360 days to 300 days. Lawmakers explained that the adjustment is intended to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) greater operational flexibility in planning and conducting elections without breaching statutory timelines.

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The issue of electronic transmission of election results generated considerable debate throughout the amendment process. Under the new law, electronic transmission is permitted, while manual collation remains legally recognised, particularly in areas where technical or connectivity challenges arise. INEC retains the authority to issue detailed regulations and guidelines governing how results are transmitted and managed. Supporters argue the compromise reflects operational realities, while critics maintain that the changes may weaken transparency safeguards introduced in previous reforms.

Beyond these headline issues, the amended Act also makes adjustments to party primary timelines, candidate nomination processes, and collation procedures. It includes technical corrections across multiple clauses to improve clarity, reduce ambiguities, and strengthen administrative consistency ahead of the 2027 polls.

With presidential assent now secured, the 2026 Electoral Act becomes the binding legal framework governing presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state House of Assembly elections. INEC is expected to review and align its regulations and operational guidelines with the new provisions as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

The signing marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic process, with political parties, civil society groups, and voters closely watching how the revised electoral framework will shape the next election cycle.