CHRICED Slams Tinubu, NASS Over “Rushed” Electoral Act Amendment

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly over the signing of the Electoral Amendment Act 2026, describing the process as rushed, undemocratic, and lacking public consultation.

In a statement on Friday signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, CHRICED criticized the hasty presidential assent, which came less than 24 hours after the bill was passed by the National Assembly. The group warned that the speed of the approval raises concerns about transparency, democratic participation, and respect for the will of Nigerians.

“For months, millions of Nigerians, civil society organisations, and opposition lawmakers have demanded mandatory electronic transmission of election results to prevent manipulation and political interference,” the statement read.

However, the amended law allows manual transmission of results under Clause 60(3) in cases of network challenges or unforeseen circumstances—a provision CHRICED described as a major setback for electoral transparency.

“To CHRICED, this provision undermines public confidence in the integrity of Nigeria’s elections,” the group said. “Mandatory electronic transmission reduces result tampering, limits interference, and cuts down post-election disputes.”

The organization also rejected claims that Nigeria lacks the network capacity for real-time electronic transmission, citing positions by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and successful past deployments such as the Transition Monitoring Group’s Parallel Vote Tabulation during the 2015 presidential election. Major telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile, have similarly dismissed concerns about network coverage as outdated.

CHRICED questioned why, despite over ₦300 billion already spent on electoral technology and a proposed ₦873.78 billion budget for the 2027 general elections, manual transmission is still justified by “internet glitches.”

The group accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-dominated National Assembly of discarding what it called a “people-oriented reform” and urged citizens to hold lawmakers, particularly the 55 senators who opposed mandatory electronic transmission, accountable through lawful democratic processes.

CHRICED also called for broader reforms, including removing the President’s exclusive power to appoint all Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioners, to strengthen the commission’s independence.

“The President swore an oath to act in the interest of Nigerians. That oath requires him to uphold the will of the people. Any deviation erodes trust and deepens perceptions of institutional compromise,” the statement read.

The organization stressed that democracy thrives on legitimacy, public trust, and transparent systems—not on executive haste or manual loopholes—and urged immediate review of Clause 60(3) to ensure electronic transmission of election results becomes mandatory.