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 ceremony took place around 5:00 p.m. at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance. The National Assembly had passed the amendment bill on Tuesday.
The revised law has reignited debate over the electronic transmission of election results. Civil society groups and opposition figures have consistently advocated real-time transmission from polling units to INEC’s central server, arguing it would reduce manipulation and enhance transparency.
Last week, protesters stormed the National Assembly complex demanding mandatory live transmission, citing the 2023 elections when INEC’s Results Viewing Portal experienced technical failures, sparking widespread allegations of irregularities.
While the ruling All Progressives Congress has expressed support for greater technology adoption, some stakeholders argue that areas with limited telecommunications infrastructure may require a phased or hybrid system, allowing manual collation where electronic transmission is not feasible.
INEC has scheduled the 2027 general elections for February 20 for the presidential and National Assembly polls, and March 6 for governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
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