President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law, introducing major amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The new legislation follows the passage of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly.
As part of the changes, the Senate amended clause 28 of the bill, reducing the required notice period for conducting general elections from 360 days to 300 days. The adjustment was made to avoid a possible overlap with the Ramadan period.
Lawmakers also maintained a provision in clause 60 that permits the manual transmission of election results in cases where network failure disrupts electronic processes.
With the president’s assent, the Electoral Act 2026 officially replaces the 2022 version and introduces reforms affecting election timelines, result transmission procedures, and other administrative processes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to release updated guidelines to reflect the provisions of the new law.
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