Electoral act amendment: Tinubu signs seven key changes into law ahead of 2027 polls

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially signed the amended Electoral Act into law, enacting significant changes to Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The new legislation introduces seven major modifications designed to streamline voter registration, candidate nomination, and result management.

Here are the key changes now in effect:

1. Voter Registration: INEC will now only require three identification documents for registration: a birth certificate, Nigerian passport, or National Identification Number (NIN). Previously accepted forms like traditional ID cards and driver’s licenses have been removed.

2. Digital PVCs: Registered voters will be able to download their Permanent Voter’s Cards directly from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) website.

3. Revised Result Transmission: Election results will be uploaded in real-time to the IREV portal. In the event of network failure, electoral officers are authorized to revert to the manual Form EC8A for result collation.

4. Primary Elections: The controversial indirect primaries have been abolished. Political parties must now adopt either direct primaries or consensus candidacy to select their flagbearers.

5. Funding Timeline: The timeframe for the release of funds to INEC for election preparations has been halved, moving from 12 months to just six months before election day.

6. Candidate Nomination: Political parties are now required to submit the names of their candidates 120 days before the election, a reduction from the previous 180-day window.

7. Final Candidate List: INEC will publish the final, comprehensive list of all nominated candidates 60 days prior to the election, significantly later than the previous 150-day deadline.

This newly amended law will govern all electoral preparations and activities leading up to the 2027 elections.