The National Assembly has formally enacted the Electoral Act 2026, a landmark legislation introducing comprehensive reforms designed to enhance electoral integrity, technological adoption, and institutional independence across Nigeria’s political landscape.
The new law, which comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, imposes stricter penalties for electoral offences, mandates digital solutions for result transmission, and guarantees the financial autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the Electoral Act 2026 as the result of more than two years of consultations with diverse stakeholders, including civil society organizations, INEC, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and development partners.
Bamidele emphasized that the Act is aimed at consolidating Nigeria’s electoral framework, ensuring transparency, and promoting accountability in all aspects of political engagement.
A key anti-impunity provision in the Electoral Act 2026 is Section 74(1), which obliges any Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to release certified true copies of requested electoral documents within 24 hours of payment.
Failure to comply triggers a mandatory two-year prison sentence without the option of a fine.
Likewise, Section 72(2) allows a certified copy of a court judgment to serve as a valid basis for swearing in a candidate declared the winner by a court, even where INEC fails to issue a certificate of return.
The law also stiffens penalties for vote-buying, impersonation, and result manipulation. Convicted offenders now face two-year jail terms or fines ranging from N500,000 to N2 million, demonstrating the legislature’s commitment to deterring electoral misconduct.
The Electoral Act 2026 mandates the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in all elections to ensure secure voter identification.
Section 60(3) requires electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while Section 60(6) prescribes a six-month jail term, a N500,000 fine, or both for presiding officers deliberately obstructing this process.
IReV is clarified as a transparency tool, not a collation platform, and the law allows conditional resort to Form EC8A only when electronic transmission fails due to communication issues.
These provisions aim to enhance public confidence in election outcomes by ensuring real-time visibility and reducing opportunities for manipulation.
The legislation establishes a dedicated fund under Section 3 to safeguard INEC’s operational and financial independence.
Election funds must now be released at least six months prior to a general election, reducing delays in preparations and shielding the electoral body from financial bottlenecks.
According to Bamidele, this measure strengthens institutional independence and reinforces the integrity of the electoral process.
The Electoral Act 2026 eliminates indirect primaries, retaining only direct and consensus primaries to broaden participation and reduce the monetization of party delegates.
Political parties are now required to maintain digital membership registers, issue membership cards, and submit updated registers to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, congresses, or conventions.
Noncompliance disqualifies the party from fielding candidates in affected elections, ensuring accountability in candidate selection.
Campaign spending limits have been significantly revised to reflect the realities of modern political contests:
Presidential: N5 billion → N10 billion
Governorship: N1 billion → N3 billion
Senate: N500 million → N1 billion
House of Representatives: N70 million → N250 million
House of Assembly: N30 million → N100 million
Area Council: N30 million → N60 million
Councillorship: N5 million → N10 million
Additional provisions include gender-sensitive queue arrangements where cultural practices require separation, support mechanisms for persons with visual impairment, and fines of N10 million for parties failing to submit accurate audited financial returns on time.
The Electoral Bill 2026 was harmonized by both chambers of the National Assembly, particularly addressing contentious clauses like Clause 60(3), before being transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The President signed the bill into law within 24 hours of its passage.
While some opposition parties argue that certain provisions, including campaign spending and party primary rules, favor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Presidency and the APC have defended the reforms as necessary for deepening democracy and protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
Senate Leader Bamidele concluded that the Electoral Act 2026 consolidates and refines the country’s electoral governance framework, emphasizing transparency, accountability, technological integration, and institutional independence while imposing tougher consequences for electoral misconduct.
With the Electoral Act 2026 now in force, Nigeria is set to witness a more structured and technologically advanced electoral process in 2027.
Analysts have noted that the combination of stricter penalties, mandatory BVAS deployment, INEC’s financial autonomy, and digital membership registers for political parties is likely to reduce electoral malpractices significantly and improve public confidence in election outcomes.
By ensuring compliance, promoting transparency, and modernizing electoral procedures, the Electoral Act 2026 represents a milestone in Nigeria’s democratic development, laying a foundation for credible, fair, and inclusive elections nationwide.
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