President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, urging stakeholders to guard against hacking and technical glitches in the electronic transmission of election results.
The President assented to the bill at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other top government officials.
Speaking shortly after signing the bill, Tinubu commended the National Assembly for what he described as a thorough legislative process aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and preventing voter disenfranchisement.
He stressed that while technology plays a critical role in modern elections, the integrity of the electoral system ultimately rests with the people who manage it.
“In fact, for final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you are going to be talking to human beings who will announce the final results,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that questions around broadband capacity and technical infrastructure must be addressed in determining the feasibility of seamless real-time transmission of results.
“When you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call of either real-time or not?” he asked.
The President emphasised that voting at polling units remains fundamentally manual, with ballot papers issued, thumb-printed and counted manually before results are entered into Form EC8A.
“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. It’s the manual, essentially. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at. And we need to avoid glitches — interference, unnecessary hacking in this age of computer inquisitiveness,” he added.
What the Amendment Provides
Under Clause 60(3) of the amended Act, the Presiding Officer is mandated to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IReV portal after completing, signing and stamping Form EC8A, and where possible, having it countersigned by candidates or polling agents.
However, the law provides that where electronic transmission fails due to network or communication challenges, the manually completed and duly authenticated Form EC8A shall serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
The provision appears to address longstanding controversies surrounding electronic transmission of results, particularly concerns about network failures and potential cyber interference during elections.
Tinubu expressed optimism that the amendment would enhance public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and strengthen democratic governance.
“Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfilment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country,” he said.
The Electoral Act amendment is expected to shape preparations for subsequent elections, especially as debates continue over the reliability of electronic result transmission in the country.
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