President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law, following its passage by the National Assembly of Nigeria after months of deliberations.
The signing ceremony, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, was attended by top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Tinubu said the essence of democracy lies in robust discussions focused on national development and nation-building, which are critical to stability. He added that Nigerians must have confidence in the electoral system.
“It’s not as important as the history aspects of this. What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and that we are all going to see democracy flourish.
“No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” the President said.
‘We Need To Avoid Interference’
Addressing debates over the transmission of election results, the President emphasised the continued role of manual processes alongside technology.
“In fact, for final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you are going to be talking to human beings who will announce the final results.
“And when you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call of either real-time or not?
“And as long as you appear personally, as a manual voter in any polling booth, a ballot paper is given to you manually, you decide in a corner and thumbprint the passing of your choice, you cast your votes, without hindrance and any interference, ballots are subsequently counted manually, sorted, and counted manually.
“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. It’s the manual, essentially. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at.
“And we need to avoid glitches — I’m glad you did — interference, unnecessary hacking in this age of computer inquisitiveness.
“Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfillment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country,” the President added.
Heated Debates in National Assembly
The bill generated intense debates over the past week, particularly on the method of transmitting election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the Senate, proceedings turned rowdy during consideration of Clause 60 after Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded a division. Akpabio initially said the demand had been withdrawn, but opposition lawmakers objected.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin cited Order 52(6), arguing it would be out of order to revisit a provision already ruled upon, sparking further uproar.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele maintained that a motion for rescission rendered previous decisions invalid, while Akpabio suggested the call for division was an attempt to publicly demonstrate a stance.
Abaribe later invoked Order 72(1) to call for a division on Clause 60(3), specifically opposing provisions allowing manual transmission if electronic transmission fails.
During voting, 15 senators opposed the proviso, while 55 supported it.
Clause-by-Clause Review
Earlier, Senate proceedings briefly stalled during clause-by-clause consideration after lawmakers moved to rescind earlier amendments, prompting consultations and a closed-door session.
Opposition in House of Representatives
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers also clashed over a motion to rescind the passage of the amendment bill. Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, moved the motion in line with the Senate’s position.
When Speaker Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, the “nays” were louder than the “ayes,” but he ruled that the ayes had it, triggering protests and forcing the House into an executive session.
The House had earlier passed the amendment in December 2025 with provisions for compulsory real-time transmission of results to the IReV portal.
