President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Electoral Bill 2026 into law at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, setting the legal framework for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The signing ceremony, attended by principal officers of the National Assembly, comes just 48 hours after the bill’s controversial passage by both chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
The new law arrives days after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC released the official timetable for the 2027 polls.
The bill’s passage on Tuesday was marked by chaos causing a division in the Senate as 55 senators voted IN FAVOR of the bill while15 opposition senators voted AGAINST it.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South) led opposition protests demanding a division on Clause 60 — the controversial provision on result transmission.
The session briefly descended into shouting matches before moving into closed-door deliberations.
At the House of Representatives when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, opposition lawmakers protested loudly.
Many claimed the “NAYS” were louder than the “AYES,” but Abbas ruled in favour of the motion despite protests.
The House moved into an emergency executive session to resolve the impasse.
The most contentious provision is Clause 60(3), which allows manual transmission of results as a backup when electronic systems fail.
Opposition politicians insist manual transmission opens doors to rigging and manipulation while real-time electronic transmission is essential for credibility.
The 2023 elections saw INEC’s Results Viewing Portal collapse, triggering widespread allegations of fraud. Civil society groups and protesters stormed the National Assembly last week demanding mandatory live transmission.
Crediblenewsng.com
