Tinubu Signs Electoral Act Amendment 2026, Declares E-Transmission Supportive But Not a Replacement for Manual Collation

 President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law, emphasizing that electronic transmission of election results serves only as a supportive tool and cannot replace the manual process in Nigeria's electoral system.

In his remarks after the signing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu stressed that the core of voting and collation remains manual. He explained that voters still receive ballots manually, mark them in secrecy, and have results counted and sorted by hand at polling units. The electronic aspect applies primarily to transmitting these manually generated results (via forms like EC8A) to avoid glitches, hacking, or technical interference.

Tinubu highlighted: "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 results." He described the system as "essentially manual," with electronic transmission acting as a backup to enhance transparency and accuracy, particularly for public viewing on platforms like the IReV portal, while prioritizing human oversight for credibility.

The amendment follows heated debates in the National Assembly, where real-time electronic transmission was made optional rather than mandatory, with provisions for manual collation as a fallback in cases of network failures or technical issues. This has drawn criticism from civil society groups, opposition parties, and some commentators who argue it opens doors to manipulation during collation stages.

Defenders, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, have described it as a balanced hybrid approach that acknowledges infrastructure challenges in rural areas while incorporating technology where feasible. Telecommunications operators have countered claims of inadequate national coverage, insisting networks support reliable transmission.

The signing comes amid preparations for the 2027 general elections, with reactions ranging from support for human-centered safeguards against cyber threats to calls for stronger mandatory electronic measures to build public trust.