President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s electoral framework.
The move followed the passage of the bill by the national assembly on Tuesday after months of debate, review and amendments by both chambers.
Signing Holds at State House
The president signed the bill at the State House around 5:00 pm on Wednesday. Leaders of the national assembly attended the ceremony.
Immediately after signing the bill, Tinubu praised lawmakers for what he described as “solid brainstorming discussions” that strengthened national development and protected democratic stability.
According to him, democracy thrives on robust engagement and constructive dialogue.
“The essence of democracy is to have very solid brainstorming discussions committed to national development and nation building, the stability of the nation,” he said.
Tinubu Prioritises Clarity in Electoral Process
Furthermore, Tinubu emphasised that the government must manage the electoral process carefully to prevent confusion or disenfranchisement.
He insisted that the new law must promote clarity and fairness at every stage.
“What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians; and we are all going to see democracy flourish,” he said.
In addition, the president called for renewed confidence in the electoral system. He argued that even the most advanced technology cannot replace human integrity.
“No matter how good a system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” he said.
“For final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer. You are going to be talking to human beings who announce the results.”
President Urges Realism on Electronic Transmission
Meanwhile, Tinubu addressed ongoing debates about real-time electronic transmission of election results.
He urged stakeholders to realistically assess Nigeria’s technological capacity, particularly broadband infrastructure.
“When you look at the crux of various agreements, maybe Nigeria should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow?” he asked.
He clarified that the voting process remains fundamentally manual. Voters will still appear physically at polling units. They will collect ballot papers, thumbprint their preferred candidates and cast their votes without interference.
Subsequently, officials will sort and count ballots manually. They will then enter only the arithmetic results into official forms before transmission.
“Essentially, the transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at, and we need to avoid glitches,” he said.
Therefore, he cautioned against unnecessary interference, especially in an era of intense digital scrutiny.
Tinubu Expresses Confidence in Nigeria’s Democracy
Finally, the president expressed optimism about Nigeria’s democratic future.
He affirmed that the country will continue to strengthen its democracy in pursuit of prosperity and stability.
“Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfillment of our dream for prosperity and stability of our country,” he said.
