President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unveiled the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The signing ceremony took place around 5:00 p.m. at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance.
The amendment was passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday following weeks of heightened public debate over the issue of real-time transmission of election results.
Civil society organisations and opposition figures had staged protests at the National Assembly complex, demanding that the law make live transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s central server mandatory. They argued that such a provision would curb manipulation, strengthen transparency, and enhance the credibility of the electoral process.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other stakeholders raised concerns about the technical and logistical challenges of implementing real-time electronic transmission nationwide. They pointed to areas with limited telecommunications infrastructure and advocated a phased or hybrid system that would permit manual collation where electronic transmission is not feasible.
The debate follows the 2023 general elections, during which technical glitches affecting INEC’s Results Viewing Portal sparked widespread allegations of irregularities.
Under the timetable earlier released by INEC, the 2027 general elections will be conducted in two phases: Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for February 20, 2027, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 6, 2027.
The newly signed amendment is expected to shape the legal and operational framework for the conduct of the 2027 polls.
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