The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has expressed alarmed and disappointment by the speed with which the newly passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Country Director of AAN, Dr. Andrew Mamedu on Thursday in Abuja noted that in less than twenty-four hours after its passage by the National Assembly, a law that will fundamentally shape Nigeria’s democratic future was assented to without allowing sufficient time for thorough review by relevant statutory institutions.
He listed the institutions to include the Attorney General of the Federation, the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Federal Ministry of Finance, particularly regarding the legal, operational, and financial implications of its implementation.
“Such haste did not permit the patience, openness, and broad consultation that legislation of this magnitude demands.
“For context, other significant reforms did not move at this speed. The Tax Reform Package underwent consolidation in early May and was passed by the National Assembly in late June before assent.
“The Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act was passed by the Senate in December 2024 and by the House of Representatives in March 2025, before being signed into law in August 2025.
“These timelines demonstrate that careful legislative progression and executive consideration are both possible and expected. Yet, when it came to a law that directly governs elections and democratic accountability, the urgency was extraordinary,” Mamedu said.
He said that the development leaves the troubling impression that the executive and legislature were operating in cohort without regard for broader institutional scrutiny or citizen engagement.
According to him, in matters of electoral reform, careful review by legal authorities, technical institutions, and relevant stakeholders is not optional, but essential.
He said that the appearance that such scrutiny may have been compressed or sidelined only deepens public suspicion and further erodes public trust.
He said, “Even more concerning is the clear disregard for citizen voices. Across the country, civil society organisations, electoral reform advocates, and concerned Nigerians raised substantive issues and proposed safeguards.
“Their concerns were not frivolous but grounded in the lived experience of past elections and in the collective desire to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system. To see those voices effectively disregarded is disheartening and goes a long way to dent principles of inclusivity, legitimacy and representation in governance.
“If this Act proceeds in its current form, the implications are serious. Public trust in electoral processes could further decline into the dark days of authoritarianism. Political tension could deepen. Confidence in democratic institutions will fade away.
“When citizens begin to believe that electoral rules are shaped without them or against their interests, the legitimacy of future elections becomes vulnerable. No democracy can thrive under such strain.
“When citizens begin to feel that decisions of national consequence are taken without them, democracy itself is diminished,” Mamedu said.
He, therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to immediately initiate a process to amend the Electoral Act 2026 so that it genuinely reflects the aspirations and demands of Nigerians.
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