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Nigeria’s political scene has been enmeshed in a campaign ritual as it heads to the 2027 polls to elect new leaders.
Recall that on Feb. 18, 2026, the 2026 Electoral Act repealed the 2022 Electoral Act, bringing reforms to the existing legal framework.
The Electoral Act helps ensure elections are free, fair, and conducted in line with the law. It governs how elections in Nigeria should be organised, how political parties and candidates participate, and how votes should be cast and counted, including electoral offences.
Below are some of the key things to know about the changes this new act provides:
- Use of BVAS technology
The Electoral Act (2026) sets a clear statutory position on using technology during voter accreditation.
Specifically, Section 47 requires the presiding officer to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), or another technological device prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to verify and authenticate an intending voter’s particulars.
If BVAS or any tech-powered device deployed for accrediting voters fails and no replacement is available, the legislation provides for the cancellation of the election in the affected polling unit, and another election should be conducted there within 24 hours, subject to some conditions.
- Transmission of results
Under the new law, Section 60(3) requires presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The transmission must take place after the presiding officer has signed and stamped the prescribed Form EC8A and, where available, had it countersigned by candidates or their polling agents.
Although such transmission is mandatory, the Act also provides for a physical result form where the process could not be completed due to communication issues.
- Election spending and donation
The spending limit of ₦5 billion for a presidential candidate and ₦1 billion for a gubernatorial candidate, which applied under the old Electoral Act (2022), has now changed.
Under Section 92, the new Act raises the presidential campaign spending limit to ₦10 billion, and the governorship limit to ₦3 billion.
For senatorial candidates, the spending limit has been raised to ₦500 million, up from ₦100 million. Those seeking election to the House of Representatives can spend up to ₦250 million, while candidates for state houses of assembly may spend up to ₦100 million.
Likewise, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the maximum spending limit is ₦100 million for chairmanship candidates and ₦10 million for councillors.
By virtue of Section 153(1), the FCT Area Council election procedures must be applied equally to Local Government elections across the states. Yet the law does not specify whether the financial limits for area councils also apply.
On donations, the law clearly states that an individual or other entity may make a lawful donation to a candidate of up to ₦500 million, but not beyond this.
- Nomination of candidates
Previously, political parties could nominate candidates through direct primaries, indirect primaries, or consensus, subject to the conditions prescribed by law. However, Section 84(2) of the Act stipulates only direct primaries or consensus, removing indirect primaries. Direct primaries allow party members to participate in selecting candidates, while consensus means the party selects a candidate with the required consent of the aspirants concerned.
Section 87 of the new Act provides that a party adopting consensus must obtain the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position. If the party cannot secure the required consent, the law states that it must revert to direct primaries.
- Publication of voters’ register
Pursuant to Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, must make copies of the voters’ register available for public access on its website and at every registration area for seven days before the 90-day deadline to the general election.
The law prescribes a penalty for failure to display or publish the register as required. Section 19(5) states that an INEC official who fails to display or publish the register in accordance with the law commits an offence punishable with imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine of N100,000, or both.
- Electronic repository
Additionally, the new law provides for a register of election results, known as the National Electronic Register of Election Results.
Section 62(2) states that INEC must compile, maintain and update an electronic repository containing polling-unit results and collated results from elections conducted across the country.
The register is to be maintained continuously and electronically, creating a statutory framework for preserving election results in a centralised electronic database and obtaining certified copies of those records.
With this register, individuals and political parties may obtain certified true copies of election results in printed or electronic form upon payment of fees determined by the Commission.
Conclusion
DUBAWA’s research presents six key changes in Nigeria’s Electoral Act (2026) ahead of the 2027 general polls in the West African nation.