Manny Ita –
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has formally defended the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, describing the legislation as a “collective masterpiece” that reflects a broad consensus among national stakeholders. Speaking on the strategic necessity of the law, Bamidele emphasized that the reforms were specifically designed to insulate the 2027 general elections from the administrative and financial hurdles that have historically dogged Nigeria’s polls. He maintained that the Act is not merely a product of the National Assembly but a response to the yearning of Nigerians for a more transparent and credible voting process.
A cornerstone of the 2026 Act is the establishment of a dedicated Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Fund under Section 3, which grants the commission full financial and operational autonomy. To ensure adequate preparation, the law now mandates that the Federal Government release all election-related funds at least six months before any general election. Furthermore, the Act solidifies the role of technology by making the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of results mandatory, a move Bamidele asserts will significantly reduce human interference in result collation.
The new legal framework also introduces sweeping changes to internal party democracy by repealing the 2022 guidelines on primaries. The 2026 Act recognizes only Direct and Consensus primaries, an adjustment aimed at curbing the “monetization” of the candidate selection process. Political parties are now required to maintain digital membership registers, which must be submitted to INEC at least 21 days before any primary election. Bamidele noted that failure to comply with these digital registration requirements would lead to the automatic disqualification of a party from fielding candidates for that cycle.
In addition to structural reforms, the Act significantly raises campaign spending limits to reflect current economic realities, increasing the presidential ceiling to ₦10 billion and governorship limits to ₦3 billion. To strengthen enforcement, the law introduces stiffer penalties for electoral crimes, including a mandatory two-year prison sentence for individuals convicted of vote-buying or result manipulation. Bamidele concluded that the swift passage and presidential assent of the Bill were critical to providing INEC with a stable two-year window to implement these sophisticated technological and administrative safeguards ahead of the next election cycle.
