Civil Society Organizations including Cnetre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, ElectHer, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa have identified what they described as “dangerous loopholes” in the recently passed Electoral Bill 2026.
At a press conference in Abuja, today, the CSOs condemned failure to address critical gaps inherent in the bill, reports Daily Trust.
Yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the 2026 Electoral Act into law, despite resistance from civil society organizations as well as opposition parties.
Previously, on Tuesday some members of the House of Representatives walked out of the green chamber in protest against the move to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill.
Responding to the developments, the CSOs argued that the bill contains significant flaws that will undermine electoral integrity.
Some of the areas the bill fell short of, according to the CSOs, include electronic transmission of result, restricting the filing of reports to INEC officials to activate the review of election results; N50 million administrative fee for new political parties and mode of mode of party primaries.
However, they said that they are committed to vigilant implementation monitoring ahead of the 2027 elections
They added that Tinubu’s decision to assent to the bill despite public outcry showed that the presidency is prioritising political expediency over electoral integrity.
They said, “The decision of the presidency to grant assent without addressing the substantive legal, technical, and democratic concerns raised by civil society, professional bodies, and even some members of the National Assembly signal a troubling prioritization of political expediency over electoral integrity. Electoral reform should be guided by broad consultation and consensus, not compressed timelines and executive finality.
“This sets a dangerous precedent: that foundational democratic laws may be enacted despite credible warnings from stakeholders charged with safeguarding electoral transparency. Such an approach risks eroding public trust at a time when confidence in the electoral system remains fragile and must be deliberately strengthened, not casually tested.”
They added that the decision by the two chambers to adopt a conference committee to handle the issue without publishing the last-minute amendments “fundamentally violates the principle of informed legislative consent and weakens parliamentary accountability”.
