'We no fit expose our election to hackers' - President Tinubu tok as e sign Electoral Act 2026
Wia dis foto come from, Presidency/X
President Bola Tinubu don sign di Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law.
Di Nigerian leader bin assent di Electoral Act, 2026 wey go regulate di conduct of Federal, State, and Area Council Elections for di Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and for Related Matters on Wednesday for di State House for di presence of top govnment officials, wey include di Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; di Speaker of di House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; plus di Chief of Staff to di President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
E say di essence of democracy na to get very solid discussions wey dey committed to national development and nation-building, as e dey essential for di stability of di nation.
"These amendments no be about politics. Na about process. Na about closing gaps, strengthening procedures, and providing greater clarity to dos wey dey conduct and participate for our elections.
Wen citizens waka go polling unit, dem must do so wit confidence. Wen dem declare results, pipo must trust am, Dem dey build dat kain confidence, e no dey happun by chance," President Tinubu tok for statement e post on X afta e assent di bill.
For im reaction to di ongoing debates on top di transmission of election results, Channels TV quote Tinubu say e tok say, "In fact, for di final results, no be computer you go follow tok; na pipo wey go announce di final results you go follow tok.
"And wen you look di koko of di various arguments, maybe wetin Nigerians suppose question na our broadband capability. How technically we dey today? How technically will go be tomorrow to answer di call of either real-time or not"?
E add say as long as you show personally, as a manual voter for any polling booth, electoral officers go give you ballot paper manually, you go cast your votes, and dem go later sort and count di votes manually.
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How di Electoral Act Amendment Bill take waka
Both chambers of di National Assembly finally pass di amendment bill on Tuesday, 17 February following weeks of legislative consideration and public engagement on key electoral reforms.
Di new law dey expected to introduce adjustments wey di aim go be to strengthen transparency, improve logistics plus address di operational lapses wey pipo observe for previous elections.
Di assent come for di middle of national debate on top di electronic transmission of election results, wey be one aspect of di bill wey don generate plenty reactions for Nigeria electoral process.
Di lawmakers for di upper and lower chamber pass di harmonised version of di Electoral Act amendment bill wey allow for di use of manual and electronic transmission of election results from each polling unit to di IREV portal, as e dey for Form EC8A.
For months, dem bin deliberate and review di amended electoral act, but afta e pass through di third reading, tori come out say dem no approve di proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of di bill, wey want make di electronic transmission of election results dey compulsory.
Di rejected provision for make am compulsory for di presiding officers of di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to di IREV portal in real time.
Dis na afta di presiding officer for don sign and stamp di prescribed Form EC&A, and candidates too don countersign am.
Tori also add say Instead, di Senate bin adopt di existing provision of di Electoral Act, wey tok say "di presiding officer shall transfer di results, wey include di total number of accredited voters and di results of di ballot, for manner as prescribed by di Commission."
Dis generate plenty reactions across di kontri and e even lead to protests for di National Assembly, as protesters demand say make di lawmakers make di clause compulsory.
Civil society groups and some opposition figures for long bin don push for real-time transmission of results from polling units to Inec central server, dem argue say e go reduce electoral magomago and strengthen credibility.
Sake of di plenty gbasgbos, plus say di version of di Electoral Act amendment bill wey di House of Representatives pass dey different from wetin di Senate pass, dem set up one Joint Senate and House Conference Committee to harmonise di positions of both Chambers in accordance wit established parliamentary procedure.
Na during di emergency session on Tuesday, di both house agree and dem pass di harmonised version of di Electoral Act.
Major changes for di electoral act Tinubu sign
- Voter registration: Documents wey dey needed for voter registration don narrow down to 3 - Birth certificate, Nigerian passport plus National Identification Number (NIN).
- Downloadable voter card: Voters go fit download dia voter card from INEC website.
- Electronic transmission of results: Electronic transmission to IReV dey compulsory. But if e fail, di physical result sheet (EC8A) go bicom di primary source of collation and results declaration.
- Mode of party primary election: Di new bill adopt direct primaries and consensus as di only methods for political parties to nominate candidates. Dis one mean say no more indirect primaries.
- Disbursement of funds to INEC: Govment must release election funds to INEC at least 6 months bifor di general election. Bifor na 12 months.
- Deadline for submission of candidates' list: Political parties must submit names of candidates 120 days bifor di election day. Bifor na 180 days
- Inec final list of candidates: Di electoral body must publish candidates' list 60 days bifor di election. Bifor na 150 days.
Except for di provisor for Section 60 (3) wey hold say upon network failure wey fit affect electronic transmission; form EC8A go bicom di primary mode of collation and result transmission.
