PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 into law, finalising a legislative process that has sharply divided the National Assembly and reignited a national debate over the credibility of Nigeria’s elections.
The brief signing ceremony took place at the President’s office at the State House, Abuja, with principal officers of the National Assembly in attendance.
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The bill was passed by both chambers on Tuesday following weeks of intense legislative battles, protests, and a minority walkout.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, confirmed the development after the ceremony. “The President a while ago appended his signature to the Electoral Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday,” Akpabio said.
The new law introduces significant changes to the electoral timetable and retains a contentious provision in Clause 60(3) that allows for the manual transmission of results as a backup to electronic uploads.
The decision had drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations, and pro-democracy activists.
