RismadarVoice Reporters
February 18, 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, just 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 5:00pm, with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance.
The National Assembly had passed the bill on Tuesday.
The amendment has reignited debates over the electronic transmission of election results, a measure civil society groups and opposition figures have long championed.
Advocates argue that real-time transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s central server would reduce electoral manipulation, enhance credibility.
Last week, protesters disrupted the National Assembly complex demanding live transmission of election results, citing failures during the 2023 elections when INEC’s Results Viewing Portal collapsed, sparking widespread allegations of rigging.
While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) supports the adoption of technology in elections, some stakeholders argue that areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure 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).
