Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in election observation and civic advocacy have described the day the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu as the the darkest day in the history of democracy in Nigeria and missed opportunity.
This is even as they called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately publish a revised timetable and schedule for the 2027 general elections, in the light of the new 300-day notice requirement under the Electoral Act 2026.
The groups said the decision of the Presidency to grant assent without addressing the substantive legal, technical, and democratic concerns signals a troubling prioritisation of political expediency over electoral integrity.
In a joint press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, they noted that the electoral reform should be guided by broad consultation and consensus, not compressed timelines and executive finality.
The group which includes; Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO),
the Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), ElectHer,
Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa also called on the National Assembly to promptly publish the final version of the Electoral Act 2026 as signed into law to ensure public awareness, legal clarity, and stakeholder engagement.
While undersigned civil society organizations acknowledged the passage of the Electoral Bill 2026 by the National Assembly and the Presidential assent granted to the Electoral Act 2026 which formally repeals and replaces the Electoral Act 2022, they however have reservations.
“However, we cannot ignore the deeply troubling manner in which the legislation was processed and passed. The speed, and opacity, raise serious concerns about legislative transparency and the commitment of lawmakers to genuine electoral reform”.
“We must therefore state clearly and without equivocation: the Electoral Act 2026 that has now been signed into law is a missed opportunity for the transformative electoral reform that Nigeria requires and that Nigerian citizens deserve”.
“At a time when public confidence in elections remains fragile, this law should have decisively strengthened transparency, eliminated ambiguities, and deepened safeguards against manipulation. Instead, it creates more vulnerabilities in the electoral process”.
“In conclusion, the Electoral Act 2026 is now law. It is imperfect. It is incomplete. It leaves dangerous loopholes open and erects new barriers to participation. But it is also the legal framework within which the 2027 elections will be conducted and it is our responsibility as citizens, media, civil society etc, to ensure that the elections conducted under this law are credible, transparent, inclusive, and reflective of the will of the Nigerian people”, they added
