President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act into law, following extensive debates at the National Assembly. He praised legislators for a smooth process that avoided confusion and disenfranchisement, saying it strengthens democracy and national stability.
Highlighting the continued role of voters in manual processes, Tinubu emphasised that while technology aids the electoral system, human participation remains crucial. “Ballots are counted manually, and the arithmetic accuracy is entered electronically. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at. We need to avoid glitches, interference, and unnecessary hacking,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the signing as historic, coinciding with the start of fasting seasons for Nigeria’s two major religions. He noted the amendments took two years of collaboration to ensure INEC can conduct free, fair, and internationally credible elections.
Akpabio highlighted the introduction of the IReV portal, which allows voters to view results from polling units globally, even syncing results later in areas with limited network coverage. “We have made all necessary inclusions to ensure Nigerians and the international community are satisfied, and elections are easier for INEC to manage,” he said.
The signing ceremony was attended by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, his deputy Benjamin Kalu, key National Assembly officers, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and Special Adviser on Senate Matters, Sen. Basheer Lado.
