A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has criticised the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, describing it as a missed opportunity to deepen Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At a news conference in Abuja, the group expressed concerns over what it termed a lack of legislative transparency and accountability in the passage of the law by the National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS).
According to them, debates on key clauses were abruptly concluded, limiting robust scrutiny of provisions they consider critical to electoral integrity.
The group also expressed disappointment that presidential assent was granted despite protests and appeals from stakeholders urging the retention of certain safeguards in the legislation.
Also present at the briefing was the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi, who shed light on some of the political and procedural intrigues that characterized the amendment process.
Despite their criticisms, the CSOs acknowledged several positive provisions in the new law like the introduction of downloadable voter cards aimed at reducing voter disenfranchisement, disability inclusive voter registration with data disaggregated by disability type, and stricter penalties for result falsification including a minimum 10-year jail term for returning officers found guilty of deliberately altering election results.