The Senate has approved the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 after it successfully scaled the third reading stage.
However, lawmakers voted against a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the bill, which aimed to make the electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
The rejected amendment would have obligated presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit polling unit results electronically to the IREV portal in real time, once the prescribed Form EC8A had been duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by party agents.
Rather than adopt the proposal, the Senate upheld the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which provides that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
Earlier in the session, the Senate also turned down a recommendation to impose a 10-year prison sentence on individuals involved in the buying and selling of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) under Clause 22. Instead, lawmakers retained the current two-year jail term but increased the associated fine from ₦2 million to ₦5 million.
This decision was reached on Wednesday during deliberations on Clause 22 of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The upper chamber further reviewed Clause 28, which deals with notices of election, and reduced the statutory notice period from 360 days to 180 days. The initial provision had required INEC to publish election notices across all states and the Federal Capital Territory at least 360 days before the election date.
In Clause 29, senators shortened the timeframe within which political parties must submit the list of their candidates and accompanying affidavits to INEC. The timeline was reduced from 180 days to 90 days. The revised clause now states that “every political party shall, not later than 90 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who shall have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”
Lawmakers also upheld the existing provision in Clause 44 relating to the format of ballot papers. Under this clause, INEC is mandated, no later than 20 days before an election, to formally invite political parties that have nominated candidates to inspect their names, logos, and identities as they appear on samples of election materials.
Political parties are required to respond in writing within two days, either approving or objecting to how their identities are presented on the samples.
With respect to Clause 47, the Senate replaced smart card readers with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation and voting procedures. Nevertheless, after extensive debate, lawmakers rejected the use of electronically generated voter identification and retained the Permanent Voter Card as the valid means of identification at polling units.
Meanwhile, the Senate deleted Clause 142, which addressed the effect of non-compliance. The removed provision had stated that “it shall not be necessary for a party who alleges non-compliance with the provisions of this Bill for the conduct of elections to call oral evidence if originals or certified true copies of relevant documents manifestly disclose the non-compliance alleged.”
The clause was struck out following concerns by lawmakers that its inclusion could result in unnecessary delays and inefficiencies during election-related court proceedings.
What you should know
The Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 introduces key changes to Nigeria’s electoral framework while retaining several existing provisions.
Although the Senate approved the bill, it declined to mandate electronic transmission of results, leaving INEC with discretion on how results are transferred. Lawmakers also adjusted timelines for election notices and candidate submissions, increased fines for PVC-related offences, adopted BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) for accreditation, and removed a clause on non-compliance to avoid prolonged legal disputes.
The bill reflects ongoing debates over transparency, technology, and efficiency in Nigeria’s electoral process.
