Rushed Democracy: How President Tinubu Signed a 120-Page Electoral Law in 24 Hours


Nigeria’s democracy has just been put to the ultimate test — and not by elections, but by speedy governance. Yesterday, Andrew Mamedu, in a striking interview on Arise News, criticized the hasty signing of the Electoral Act 2026, a massive 120-page law, by President Bola Tinubu — less than 24 hours after it passed the National Assembly.

This is not just a procedural concern. It’s a dangerous precedent.

A Law Too Big to Sign in a Hurry

The Electoral Act 2026 covers every stage of Nigeria’s elections:

  • Voter registration and verification

  • Electronic transmission of results

  • Manual collation fallback

  • Dispute resolution

  • The role of courts in election matters

Each of these areas affects millions of voters and thousands of election officers. Every clause needs careful vetting, consultations with stakeholders, and integration with electoral technology.

Yet, in a shocking display of haste, the law was signed in under a day. No thorough review. No opportunity for civil society, INEC, or the public to weigh in. No chance to identify potential loopholes.

Andrew Mamedu’s Warning

Mamedu, speaking on Arise News, urged a reduction in human intervention during result collation, emphasizing the security and reliability of technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

But technology can only protect elections if laws and procedures are clear. When rushed legislation is combined with high-tech voting systems, confusion and suspicion are inevitable.




The Real Risks

Rushing a law of this magnitude is not just sloppy. It is dangerous. Here’s why:

  • Election Officers at Risk: Ambiguity around electronic vs. manual results could put presiding officers in danger, especially youth corps members.

  • Implementation Chaos: INEC has little time to train staff or issue clear guidelines.

  • Legal Confusion: Loopholes created by hasty signing invite litigation, giving courts excessive influence over election outcomes.

  • Erosion of Public Trust: Citizens may see this as a government prioritizing speed over transparency, fueling skepticism.

Democracy Shouldn’t Run on a Stopwatch

Andrew Mamedu’s words are clear: laws meant to protect democracy cannot be fast-tracked for convenience or political optics. When decisions that affect millions of voters are rushed, it’s not efficiency — it’s recklessness.

This 120-page law should have taken weeks of vetting, review, and stakeholder consultation. Instead, it was signed in less than 24 hours, leaving the country to wonder: who really benefits from speed?

The Bottom Line

Nigeria’s democracy deserves deliberate, thoughtful, and transparent processes. Elections are the foundation of the nation’s political stability. Rushing the laws that govern them is a direct threat to that foundation.

If citizens, civil society, and institutions don’t demand accountability, the 2027 elections may well be decided not by ballots, but by confusion and litigation.

Andrew Mamedu’s warning is urgent: speeding up democracy is a recipe for chaos. Nigeria cannot afford this gamble.

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