Civil Society Critiques Tinubu's 2026 Electoral Act Signing

Civil society organizations (CSOs) including the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, and others have expressed strong criticism of President Bola Tinubu's signing of the 2026 Electoral Act on February 18. They argue that the new law fails to meet the expectations of Nigerians, particularly in areas concerning real-time transmission of election results, which remains controversial.

The CSOs highlighted that the law introduces barriers to political participation, such as a non-refundable administrative fee of N50 million for filing reports and restrictions on party primaries. Jake Epel, Chief Executive Officer of Taf Africa, stated that the law represents a missed opportunity for electoral reform in Nigeria, especially at a time when public confidence in the electoral process is fragile.

The CSOs noted that the law contains significant flaws that could entrench incumbency advantages and exclude millions of Nigerians from political participation. However, they acknowledged some innovations, such as the ability to download voter cards from the INEC website.