The House of Representatives on Thursday defended the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, insisting that the legislation was enacted in line with constitutional procedures and reflects the collective will of parliament, despite acknowledging it is “imperfect.”
House spokesman Akin Rotimi dismissed claims that lawmakers ignored public opinion, particularly on electronic transmission of results, stressing that the law now expressly mandates the use of INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV). He explained that manual collation would only serve as a fallback if electronic transmission fails.
Rotimi also described as regrettable the tear-gas incident involving protesters at the National Assembly, assuring that the matter would be investigated. He emphasised that the conference committee acted within its mandate, reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
“Democratisation is a process. What we have may be imperfect, but it was done in the best interest of Nigerians,” he said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) condemned the speed of President Bola Tinubu’s assent, accusing him of undermining democratic credibility. The party vowed to mobilise Nigerians to defend electoral integrity, warning that the amendment permits excessive discretion in collation and transmission.
Civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa, ElectHer, The Kukah Centre, IPC, and TAF Africa, described the law as a “missed opportunity for transformative reform.” They criticised the process as opaque, alleging that lawmakers voted without reviewing the final text and that last-minute amendments were inserted without debate.
Rotimi defended the urgency of Tinubu’s assent, saying it was necessary to provide certainty ahead of the 2027 elections. He welcomed calls for INEC to conduct public simulations of its electronic transmission system to identify and fix gaps before the polls.
