Nigeria’s National Assembly has today passed a highly contentious Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, setting the stage for reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections but igniting fierce opposition from lawmakers, civil society groups and protesters demanding stronger transparency provisions.
The House of Representatives adopted a revised version of the bill during a rowdy plenary session on Tuesday, amid disagreement over how election results should be transmitted and collated. Lawmakers voted to retain a combination of electronic and manual systems for transmitting results from polling units, after rescinding an earlier clause that would have mandated real-time electronic transmission directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The passage sparked immediate backlash. Minority lawmakers staged a walkout in protest, describing the changes as a setback for electoral integrity. They argued that removing the requirement for mandatory real-time electronic transmission would weaken transparency and open the door to disputed results in future elections.
Inside the National Assembly, the session turned chaotic when a motion was moved to rescind the bill passed in December 2025. Tensions rose as lawmakers debated whether to revisit the legislation, leading Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to move the chamber into an executive session after objections from several members.
Although the House and the Senate had earlier approved versions of the bill with differing positions on results transmission, both chambers are now expected to reconcile their differences through a conference committee. The committee was constituted to harmonise the versions before sending a final draft to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The main flashpoint has been the electronic transmission of results. The House’s original version mandated that results be transmitted in real time from polling units immediately after collation. However, the Senate initially rejected this clause, prompting public outcry and protests from opposition figures and civil society. Eventually, the Senate approved a hybrid approach, allowing electronic transmission with manual collation as a backup in case of technical failures.
The protests have continued outside the National Assembly complex for the second consecutive day, with demonstrators chanting slogans such as “We no go gree” and urging lawmakers to prioritise the passage of transparent electoral reforms. Some carried placards calling for unambiguous legal mandates on real-time electronic results transmission, warning that the current compromise could weaken confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Civil society groups have also amplified their calls for the adoption of the House’s original position on real-time transmission, arguing that it is essential to enhance credibility, reduce disputes and promote transparency ahead of the 2027 elections. A coalition of youth-focused organisations has publicly urged the Conference Committee to enforce the mandatory electronic transmission provisions passed by the House.
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