Former Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner and legal expert, Mike Igini, has called on President Bola Tinubu to reject the recently passed Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, cautioning that the legislation could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview with Arise Television, Igini expressed concerns following the Nigerian Senate’s passage of the bill on Tuesday after heated debates over Clause 60.
“It is my humble recommendation to Mr President that you are a man of history. What is going to be presented before you is a recipe for chaos. It’s a recipe to undermine all that you have done when we were in the trenches. Please take it back,” Igini urged.
Recalling past political struggles, Igini stressed that election outcomes should reflect the will of the people rather than the influence of state power. “In 2015, it was always about the might of the people through the ballot, not federal might. You should be a man of history,” he said.
Igini has recently intensified calls for compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results, citing historical loopholes in manual collation that have negatively affected legislators, particularly those lacking party support.
His intervention comes as the National Assembly seeks to reconcile differing versions of the electoral reforms, with real-time upload of polling-unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal emerging as one of the most contentious issues.
According to Igini, mandating electronic transmission would enhance transparency, strengthen public confidence, and safeguard the credibility of future elections.
This warning arrives amid rising scrutiny of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections, highlighting the high stakes for lawmakers and the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.
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