President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday signed into law the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill.
The legislation was passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday after months of debate, committee review and amendments by both chambers.
Lawmakers said the new law is intended to clarify grey areas in the existing electoral framework and improve the conduct of future elections.
The signing ceremony took place at the State House at about 5:00 p.m., with Senate and House of Representatives leaders, as well as senior government officials, in attendance.
Speaking shortly after assenting to the bill, the President praised the lawmakers for what he described as thoughtful engagement in shaping the law. He said the process reflected the spirit of democracy and a shared commitment to national stability.
“The essence of democracy is to have very solid brainstorming discussions committed to national development and nation building, the stability of the nation,” he said.
Tinubu stressed that while the new law is historically important, its true value lies in ensuring that elections are conducted without confusion or the exclusion of eligible voters. He said public confidence in the electoral process must be rebuilt and sustained.
“What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians; and we are all going to see democracy flourish,” he said.
The President noted that no matter how advanced an electoral system becomes, its success ultimately depends on the integrity of those who operate it. He urged stakeholders to prioritise transparency and accountability in the management of elections.
“No matter how good a system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and result is finalised by the people,” he said. “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.”
Addressing ongoing debates over electronic transmission of results, Tinubu called for a practical assessment of Nigeria’s technological capacity, especially broadband infrastructure across the country. He said reforms must reflect present realities while preparing for future improvements.
“When you look at the crux of various agreements, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow?” Tinubu asked.
He emphasised that voting itself would remain a physical process carried out at polling units, where voters receive ballot papers, thumbprint their preferred candidates and cast their votes.
According to him, ballots will continue to be sorted and counted manually before results are entered into official forms.
“Essentially, the transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at, and we need to avoid glitches,” he said, warning against unnecessary interference in an era of heightened digital scrutiny.
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