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On Wednesday, the 18th of February, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026(Amendment) into law shortly after the National Assembly passed the bill on Tuesday. The bill now turned into law, came days after the Independent National Electoral Commission released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
In overseeing and managing the administration of an election, an electoral act is the necessary legislative instrument that provides these guidelines.
The Electoral Act (Amendment) bill 2026 introduced a lot of key changes that will define how future elections are conducted, especially as the forthcoming 2027 general elections draws near.
ROUNDCHECK observed the key changes as follows:
1. Voter Registration Requirements Reduced
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The law now accepts three acceptable documents for voter registration to streamline registration and tighten identity verification. The three acceptable documents are as follows: Birth certificate, Nigerian passport and National Identification Number (NIN)
2. Electronic Transmission of Results is now Mandatory
The new law makes electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) mandatory. However, Section 60(3) states that if network failure prevents electronic transmission, the paper result sheet which is Form EC8A becomes the primary source for collation and declaration.
3. Downloadable voter cards
Before now, it was impossible for voters to download their voter cards directly from INEC’s (Independent National Electoral Commission) website. However, the Electoral Act of 2026 now gives room for downloadable voter cards from the commission’s website, which could reduce reliance on physical card collection and improve access for voters.
4. Party Primaries Limited to Two Options
With the signing of the new Electoral Act, Political Parties can now nominate candidates only through two valid ways, which are direct Primaries and consensus. With this, indirect primaries have been removed as an option.
5. Election Funds Timeline Adjusted
Election funds must be released to INEC at least six (6) months before a general election, as against the previous law which states that funds must be released 12 months before.
6. Deadline for Submission of Candidates
Now, political parties must submit their list of candidates 120 days before election day, as opposed to the 189-day deadline.
7. Publication of Final Candidate List
INEC must publish the final list of candidates 60 days before the election, as opposed to the previous timeline which was 150 days.
With the bill signed and passed into law, attention now focuses on INEC and the implementation of the electoral law of 2026.
