Electoral Reforms and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria: An Assessment of the 2022 Electoral Act

This study evaluates the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and assesses their potential contributions to democratic consolidation in Nigeria, examining the key innovations introduced and the practical challenges encountered in implementing them during the 2023 general elections. Nigeria's electoral reform process has been incremental and contested, reflecting the competing interests of incumbent politicians, electoral management bodies, and civil society reformers. Using a documentary analysis design supplemented by secondary literature on electoral law reform in Nigeria and comparative African democracies, the study examines the Act's provisions on electronic transmission of results, party primary regulations, early voter card collection, and pre-election litigation procedures. The electoral integrity theory and democratic consolidation framework are applied to evaluate whether the reforms address the root causes of electoral misconduct in Nigeria. Findings reveal that while the 2022 Electoral Act introduced meaningful improvements, particularly through the provision for electronic result transmission which was tested with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, implementation was uneven, and the courts were inundated with post-election disputes challenging the conduct of primaries and gubernatorial elections. Political resistance from entrenched interests within major parties further limited the reformative impact of the legislation. Recommendations include strengthening the operational independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, investing in digital infrastructure for result management, and expanding civic education to prepare voters for new electoral procedures. Keywords: Electoral Act 2022, democratic consolidation, electoral reform, INEC, Nigeria