KEY POINTS
- Reps defend Electoral Act 2026 as constitutional.
- ADC, CSOs warn of loopholes before 2027 polls.
- Debate centres on electronic transmission and fallback clauses.
The House of Representatives on Thursday defended the Electoral Act 2026, describing the law as constitutionally enacted despite what it acknowledged were imperfections, as opposition parties and civil society groups intensified criticism of the amendment.
House Spokesman Akin Rotimi told a coalition of civil society organisations in Abuja that the amendment followed established parliamentary procedures and reflected the collective will of the National Assembly.
“Democratisation is a process. What we have may be imperfect, but it was done in the best interest of Nigerians,” Rotimi said.
Reps Defend Electoral Act 2026
Rotimi rejected claims that lawmakers ignored public opinion on electronic transmission of results. He said the conference committee that reconciled House and Senate versions operated within its mandate and could not introduce provisions outside matters already considered by both chambers.
“For the first time, the law expressly mandates and recognises the IReV and electronic transmission of Form EC8A. The presiding officer shall mandatorily transmit results. Only if that fails does the manual process come in as a fallback,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the speed of presidential assent, Rotimi argued that lawmakers needed to act urgently because the Independent National Electoral Commission had already released timelines for the 2027 general elections.
Opposition, CSOs Raise Concerns
The African Democratic Congress accused President Bola Tinubu of weakening electoral credibility, vowing to mobilise Nigerians to defend future polls. The party questioned what it described as the haste with which the Electoral Act 2026 was passed and signed.
Civil society groups, including Yiaga Africa and The Kukah Centre, described the amendment as a missed opportunity for deeper reform. They cited concerns over Section 63, arguing that the fallback manual collation clause could be abused.
The Middle Belt Forum also criticised the law, saying ambiguities between real-time electronic transmission and manual uploads to the IReV portal could create legal disputes over which result carries precedence in court.
While acknowledging dissent, Rotimi said majority decisions in plenary prevailed and welcomed calls for INEC to conduct public simulations of its electronic transmission system before 2027.
