Tinubu Signs New Electoral Act Hours After Passage

ByNewsmakers

Feb 18, 2026 #Bola Tinubu electoral reform, #controversial electoral bill Nigeria, #Electoral Act repeal and re-enactment bill, #INEC election framework 2026, #National Assembly electoral bill passage, #new electoral law Nigeria, #Nigeria elections legal update, #Nigeria electoral reform law, #presidential assent electoral bill, #Tinubu signs Electoral Act 2026

Segun Atanda/

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, barely 24 hours after its passage by the National Assembly.

The swift presidential approval marks one of the fastest turnarounds for an electoral reform bill in recent political history.

The National Assembly had on Tuesday harmonised the bill following deliberations by both chambers and transmitted a clean copy to the President for assent.

The legislative process, however, was not without controversy. Debates around key provisions generated intense reactions from stakeholders, with several civil society organisations and concerned Nigerians arguing that aspects of the bill did not fully reflect public expectations.

Despite the opposition, lawmakers finalised the document after resolving contentious clauses and forwarded it to the Presidency.

With Tinubu’s signature, the reworked Electoral Act now becomes law, setting the legal framework for the conduct of future elections in Nigeria.