Citizens Demand Stronger Electoral Safeguards On 2026 Electoral Act • Channels Television

Civil society leaders, electoral experts, and INEC’s top brass gathered on Sunday evening for the Citizens’ Townhall on the freshly signed Electoral Act 2026.

Organised by the Civil Society Network on Electoral Integrity (including YIAGA Africa and TAF Africa), the event dissected the law’s reforms, mandatory electronic result transmission via IReV/BVAS, hybrid manual backups, revised party primaries, and earlier funding release, and their real impact on voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The evening poster captures the urgency: “Electoral Act 2026: What it means for your vote and the 2027 Elections.”

INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan delivered the headline assurance, vowing that 2027 will be Nigeria’s “best election yet” thanks to reforms, heightened voter awareness since 2023, and planned mock presidential exercises to iron out any transmission glitches.

He stressed simpler laws for transparency and pledged no repeat of past “technical failures.”

Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, took a critical stance, labelling the manual transmission fallback proviso a dangerous loophole that could erode trust.

He urged the National Assembly to swiftly amend the Act again to prioritise full electronic transmission, warning that citizens risk losing faith without it.

Other voices included former INEC officials optimistic about BVAS recognition and electronic mandates, political party reps (APC, Labour Party, ADC) debating party perspectives, and activists like Oby Ezekwesili pushing for citizen empowerment.

Panellists highlighted remaining gaps but celebrated progress in funding and timelines.