A former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igini, has called on President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the newly passed Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, warning that the legislation could undermine Nigeria’s democratic gains.
Speaking on Arise News on Wednesday, Igini described the bill — recently passed by the Senate after tense debates over Clause 60 — as a setback to electoral transparency and stability.
“It is indeed my humble recommendation to Mr President that you are a man of history. You were a senior man to very many of us in the struggle at the time when the journey of Nigeria and the prospect of democracy was less certain.
“What is going to be presented before you is a recipe for chaos. It’s a recipe to undermine all that you have done when we were in the trenches.
“What is put before you? Please take it back,” he said.
Igini reminded the President of the democratic struggles that shaped Nigeria’s political evolution, arguing that electoral outcomes should be determined by voters, not state power.
“And also remember that, at a time when the PDP was in office and when we were in office and they were saying that there was going to be a federal might, some of us stood out to say no.
“In 2015, it’s going to be the might of people, not federal might, but the might of the people through the ballot that should determine what will happen. You should be a man of history,” he said.
Push for Real-Time Electronic Transmission
In recent days, Igini has intensified advocacy for compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results, a provision that has emerged as one of the most contentious aspects of the proposed amendments.
The debate centres on the mandatory upload of polling-unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, as the National Assembly works to harmonise differing versions of the bill.
Igini warned that any dilution of electronic transmission safeguards could erode public trust and directly affect the credibility of future elections, including the 2027 general polls.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he argued that loopholes permitting alterations during manual collation of results have historically disadvantaged serving lawmakers, especially those who had fallen out of favour with their political parties.
According to him, closing such gaps through mandatory real-time electronic transmission would enhance transparency and restore confidence in the electoral process overseen by INEC.
His intervention adds to mounting pressure on the Presidency as the fate of the Electoral Act amendment now rests with Tinubu.
