The recently passed Electoral Act, 2026 is a comprehensive framework that aims to improve Nigeria’s electoral system’s accountability, openness, and institutional independence. The Senate yesterday highlighted the extensive revisions included in this legislation.
The highlights were revealed in a statement released by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
Civil society organizations (CSOs), the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and development partners participated in two years of intensive consultations before the new law was passed, according to Bamidele.
He clarified that the legislative process was inclusive and cooperative, despite what some people have implied, and that stakeholders’ opinions were integrated into the final draft before it was delivered to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approval.
Within 24 hours of the Electoral Bill 2026 being transmitted, Tinubu signed it into law, capping what lawmakers said was a two-year redrafting process meant to avoid constitutional ambiguities before the general election in 2027.
In order to ensure the commission’s financial independence, operational stability, and administrative continuity, Bamidele pointed out that one of the main reforms is the creation of a special fund for INEC under Section 3 of the Act.
The law also requires election funding to be released at least six months prior to general elections, he said.
He emphasized that voter accreditation is now required by Section 47, which calls for the implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or any other technology that INEC prescribes.
The mandatory electronic transmission of election results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) is mandated by Section 60(3), he added, while Section 60(6) penalizes any presiding officer who willfully obstructs the electronic transmission of results with a six-month jail sentence, a ₦500,000 fine, or both.
But in situations where communication failure is demonstrated, he noted, the Act allows for the conditional use of Form EC8A for manual transmission.
Strict sanctions for electoral malfeasance are also introduced by the law. Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) are required under Section 74(1) to provide certified true copies of documents within 24 hours of payment; failure to do so carries a minimum two-year jail sentence without the possibility of a fine.
“Offenses like vote buying, impersonation, and result manipulation now carry a maximum sentence of two years in prison or fines of ₦500,000 to ₦2 million, or both, under Section 125,” Bamidele stated.
“The 2026 law essentially phases out indirect primaries by providing only direct and consensus primaries, which is a significant change from the repealed 2022 Act,” Bamidele added.
According to him, political parties must issue membership cards, keep an electronic member registry, and submit the register to INEC at least 21 days before to primaries, congresses, or conventions in order to comply with Section 77.
Failure to comply will prevent a party from fielding candidates in the impacted election, he noted.
The Act also raises the upper limit on campaign expenditures for all elected posts. The governorship cap climbed from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion, and the presidential expenditure cap was raised from ₦5 billion to ₦10 billion. Positions in the state assembly, municipal government, and national assembly were also modified.
Additional noteworthy aspects, he noted, include policies that promote diversity, like support systems for people with visual impairments and rules that allow for gender-based queue separation where cultural customs demand it.
Bamidele characterized Nigeria’s election governance structure as being refined and consolidated under the new election Act.
He stated that the Act stresses INEC’s operational and financial independence, technological integration with safeguards, harsher penalties for offenses, and more stringent regulation of political parties. “The Act seeks to enhance electoral credibility, reduce disputes, and strengthen democratic governance in Nigeria,” he said.
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