“For democracy to work, the people must be empowered to participate in the process, and the process must be transparent, credible, and free from manipulation.”
Pat Utomi
(Nigerian Professor of Political Economy)
Dear {{First name|Active Citizen}},
When you think there’s some level of progress with governance in Nigeria, our leaders say, ‘Hold my cup’.
I’m sure you’ve seen the ‘chaos’ happening with the 2025 Electoral Reforms. If you haven’t, today’s newsletter breaks down the issues and lets you know what you can do to safeguard the 2027 elections.
The Sabotage: What was in the Bill?
On February 4, 2026, the Senate passed a version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill containing three clauses designed to sabotage our progress;
Discretionary Transmission: Electronic transmission of votes remained at the discretion of INEC officials. This is the primary issue that casts doubt on the 2023 elections and every candidate who emerged from them to date.
The "Miracle" Timeline: They reduced INEC’s prep time from 360 days to 180 days. Even with a full year, INEC grapples with logistics, printing and personnel issues; now we expect them to perform miracles in 6 months?
The Party Primary Rush: They slashed the party candidate submission timeline from 180 days to 90 days after primaries. Why the rush? Did you know that party primaries are arguably where the most politics is played? Parties need time to validate who actually emerged.
What happened next? NIGERIANS SAID NO! For us at EiE Nigeria, this was a huge momentum boost. You mean the Nigerians that people think are sleeping rose up to challenge a possible assault on our Elections? Everyone said, “Sign me up! We no go gree!”
The “Win” That Wasn’t
After protests and public pressure, the Senate seemed to reverse its position on February 10. While many called it a win, it’s really not. Let’s lock in.
The Senate's amended version permits electronic transmission while quietly preserving every loophole that made 2023 a credibility disaster, just dressed up in new language to silence the protests. Here is what the clause actually says:
Presiding officers may transmit results electronically... "provided if the electronic transmission does not fail and becomes impossible to use, then the Form EC8A shall be the primary source of election results."
In plain language: if there's a "network failure," the manual form takes over. No questions asked. No criteria defined. No accountability required.
Let That Number Sink In: 93%
Network failure is not a crisis. It affects no more than 7% of polling units, and this has been the case since 2019. This means transmission is possible in 93% of the country, and the goal should be how do we bring the affected 7% up to speed?
Yet, the Senate has written a clause that can be invoked at 100% of polling units, with no objective criteria for what counts as a "failure." Prof. Mahmood himself confirmed that 2023 wasn’t the first time INEC tried this, which is why that ‘glitch’ remains highly questionable.
The worst part? They want you to think this is only about transmission. It’s also about the compressed electoral calendar, which will undoubtedly mar the entire process. Thankfully, INEC has released the timetable for the 2027 elections, but the race is only just getting started.
The Next Point of Call
If the last few days are anything to go by, the #OfficeOfTheCitizen is still the highest office in the land. When citizens show up and speak up, elected officials are not only outnumbered; they are given no choice.
The Conference Committee (representatives from both Chambers) will now meet to harmonise the Senate and House versions. Our demand must be clear:
They must adopt the House's version, which explicitly requires mandatory real-time transmission, and retain the original statutory electoral timelines.
They Work for You. Remind Them.
Whether they represent you directly or not, it is time to call, text, email, and visit their constituency offices. Give them no rest until they conform to the will of the people.
The Conference Committee members and every National Assembly lawmaker are your employees elected, paid, and mandated by you. Find your representative here. Tell them: Mandatory real-time transmission is non-negotiable. Let them know you are watching, and silence is complicity!
Read our full statement here.
CITIZEN’S TOWNHALL: Save the Date!
Our friends at Zikoko Citizen are set to host the second edition of their flagship event, The Citizen Townhall, and we are excited to be joining them as a partner.
This year’s theme, “Who Shapes the Nigerian Life?”, moves the conversation away from typical election noise and toward the systems and institutions that actually affect the lives of young Nigerians. If you want to understand the forces behind the Nigerian experience, this is where you need to be.
Date: February 28, 2026
Venue: Four Points By Sheraton, Lagos
Registration: citizen.zikoko.com
Mark your calendars and head over to their website to secure your spot. We look forward to seeing you there!
Let’s keep the pressure on.
In service of the #OfficeOfTheCitizen
The EiE Nigeria Team.
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