On this Democracy Day in Nigeria, let’s not forget that the foundation of any democratic nation rests on free, fair, and credible elections.
So I’ll ask, have you by any chance seen the 2026 Electoral Act with all its ambiguities?
I’ve been stuck on Sections 60(3), 60(5), and 62(4), and I don’t understand how such wording was passed into law to govern our electoral process. The wording in these sections leaves room for guesswork and interpretation, which shouldn’t be the case.
These are also the exact concerns raised by an Independent Judicial Accountability Panel (IJAP), noting that the provisions on transmission and verification of results contain ambiguities and inconsistencies, especially in Sections 60(3), 60(5), and 62(4), including unclear wording on electronic transmission, the next level of collation, and cross-referencing errors within the Act.
Because of these issues, the 2026 Electoral Act should be amended to remove the confusing provisions, clearly state that results must be transmitted electronically without room for interpretation, correct the section referencing errors, and ensure that both results and accredited voter figures are sent electronically to the appropriate collation centres for verification.
Section 83(5) should also be aligned with the Constitution, especially in disputes involving political parties.
#ElectoralReform