Akpabio Defends Electoral Act 2026 for 2027 Elections

On Tuesday, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, defended the recently passed Electoral Act 2026, stating that the amendments are designed to improve the transparency of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. During a televised interview, Akpabio urged critics to familiarize themselves with the bill before making comments, highlighting that some had criticized the legislation without having read it.

The Senate adopted the bill, which includes provisions for electronic transmission of results through the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) IREV portal, while also retaining manual result collation as a fallback in case of network failures. The Senate's decision to support the bill saw 55 votes in favor and 15 against, with discussions led by Simon Lalong, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.

Akpabio called for unity and calm following heated debates surrounding the bill, which aims to restore public confidence in Nigeria's electoral system.