Tinubu Signs Electoral Act 2026 Amendment Ahead of 2027 Polls
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday assented to the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment), a key legislative reform ahead of the 2027 general elections. The signing ceremony was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of principal officers of the National Assembly.
The amendment, passed only days earlier by the legislature after a heated debate, introduces provisions for a hybrid transmission of election results, combining electronic and manual methods, particularly in areas affected by poor network coverage.
This development coincides with the formal release of the Notice of Election, Timetable, and Schedule of Activities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
During the ceremony, President Tinubu emphasized the need for renewed confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. He noted that while technology plays a role in collation, the process ultimately depends on human oversight:
“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.”
He further explained that voting remains a manual exercise at polling units, with ballot papers issued, votes cast, and ballots counted physically. The electronic system, he clarified, is primarily for recording and transmitting figures with arithmetic accuracy.
INEC leadership has reiterated its independence and neutrality, outlining strategic priorities to strengthen public trust in the 2027 electoral process.
In a related fiscal development, President Tinubu also signed an Executive Order suspending the collection of management and frontier exploration fees by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The directive mandates the full remittance of oil and gas revenues into the Federation Account. According to the Ministry of Finance, the measure is intended to align revenue flows with constitutional provisions, curb leakages, and enhance transparency, especially in light of declining inflows despite improved production and favourable market conditions.
