The Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, and a coalition of civil society organisations on Thursday criticised President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, describing it as “a missed opportunity for transformative electoral reform.”
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The call was made at a press conference in Abuja organised in collaboration with the International Press Centre, TAF Africa, Centre for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, and Elect Her.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the coalition, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, argued that the speed and opacity of the legislative process undermined public confidence in the reform.
He said, “The civil society organisations acknowledge the passage of the Electoral Bill 2026 by the National Assembly and the presidential assent that followed, but warn that the process fell short of democratic standards.
“The speed and opacity raise serious concerns about legislative transparency and the commitment of lawmakers to genuine electoral reform.
“The decision of the Presidency to grant assent without addressing the substantive legal, technical, and democratic concerns raised by civil society sets a dangerous precedent. Such an approach risks eroding public trust at a time when confidence in the electoral system remains fragile.”
Epelle also criticised the imposition of a ₦50 million administrative fee for new political party registration under Section 75(6) of the Electoral Act, calling it “a financial moat designed to exclude grassroots movements, youth-led parties, and non-elite political formations from formal competition.”
On party primaries, the coalition said that restricting nomination methods to direct primaries or consensus limits flexibility and heightens the risk of vote-buying and manipulation.
The coalition, however, urged the National Assembly to publish the assented version of the Electoral Act while calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to urgently release a revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.
“The civil society organisations call on the National Assembly to immediately publish the final version of the Electoral Act 2026 as signed into law to ensure public awareness, legal clarity, and stakeholder engagement.
“We also urge INEC to urgently release a revised timetable for the 2027 general elections in line with the new 300-day notice requirement, issue comprehensive regulations to clarify ambiguous provisions, and conduct a nationwide simulation of electronic transmission across all polling units,” Epelle added.
Despite their reservations, the coalition said civil society would remain engaged in monitoring the implementation of the law ahead of the next general election.
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