Title: Electoral Act Reflects Will of Nigerians, Not ‘Noisemakers’ — Akpabio Date Published: 19 February 2026 Description: Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the newly signed Electoral Act, insisting that the law reflects the genuine aspirations of Nigerians rather than the interests of what he described as a “few people who make noise.”Akpabio spoke on Wednesday at the State House after President Bola Tinubu assented to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, describing the legislation as historic, painstaking and patriotic.According to him, lawmakers in the National Assembly were thorough in their work and mindful of Nigeria’s peculiar political and social environment, while resisting undue external pressure during the amendment process.He said the legislature was satisfied that it had successfully interpreted and addressed the yearnings of the majority of Nigerians.“We are happy and satisfied that we have met the aspirations of Nigerians — not those who are politically motivated, not a few people who make noise. Noise is different from lawmaking,” Akpabio said.The Senate President expressed confidence that the amended law would usher in greater transparency, fairness and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that votes cast by Nigerians would now truly count.He identified as a major highlight of the new Act the formal legal recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System result viewer, known as the IReV, as an authentic and verifiable record of polling unit results.Akpabio explained that results transmitted electronically from polling units, even in areas with poor network coverage, would eventually appear on the IReV portal once connectivity is restored, making it easier for Nigerians to detect any manipulation as results move through the collation process.He described the provision as a landmark reform, noting that for the first time since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, electronic transmission of election results has been expressly recognised in law.The Senate President also highlighted other reforms in the Act, including provisions allowing political party members to directly elect their candidates during primaries, rather than leaving such decisions solely in the hands of a limited number of delegates.In addition, he said the law now mandates a fresh election where a leading candidate is disqualified by a court, preventing situations where candidates with significantly fewer votes emerge winners by default.The amended Electoral Act has, however, sparked intense debate nationwide, particularly over provisions relating to the transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.On Tuesday, the Senate passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, after a tense and rowdy session.Proceedings were briefly disrupted when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a division over Clause 60 as the chamber resumed consideration of the bill. Attached Images: 7df6e21f7b30dd12968a4f0588406e3024c0d8e5ad3c7717bfc4cf03bb1f151e.jpg Attached Video: None