A former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold assent to the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re‑Enactment) Bill 2026, warning it could weaken electoral transparency and destabilize preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Barrister Mike Igini, a former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, made the appeal on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, during an interview on Arise Television, a day after the Senate passed the bill.
He described the legislation as “a recipe for chaos,” highlighting Clause 60, which makes electronic transmission of polling-unit results optional rather than mandatory.
Igini said this loophole could enable manipulation and erode public confidence in election outcomes.
He urged the president to act cautiously, calling him “a man of history” and recalling the 2015 elections as a pivotal moment for credible polls, emphasizing the need for vigilance now.
READ ALSO: Randy Peters Demands Electronic Transmission Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The debate stems from differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate allowed electronic transmission with a fallback to manual reporting for technical issues, citing infrastructure limitations, while the House had proposed mandatory real-time transmission for all polling units.
Civil society groups, opposition lawmakers, and election monitors have criticized the Senate’s approach, saying optional transmission weakens transparency.
Protests have erupted calling for reinstatement of compulsory electronic reporting to protect election integrity.
Once reconciled, the bill will go to President Tinubu, who has 30 days to sign it into law or return it for review, determining the legal framework for the 2027 general elections.