BREAKING: Certificate forgery is no longer a reason to challenge election results in Nigeria

BREAKING: Certificate forgery is no longer a reason to challenge election results in Nigeria

📢 BREAKING: Certificate forgery is no longer a reason to challenge election results in Nigeria

In a major change to Nigeria’s electoral law, the Electoral Act 2026 (As Amended) has removed certificate forgery as a valid ground for filing election petitions.

Previously, allegations of certificate forgery appeared under Section 138 of the Electoral Act as a potential basis to challenge a candidate’s election. However, the 2026 amended electoral law has deleted this provision, meaning that even if a candidate’s certificate is forged, it can no longer be used to dispute their election in cour

Under Section 138(1) of the law, an election can now only be challenged on two grounds:

That the election was invalid due to corrupt practices during the elections or not following the rules, or

That the declared winner did not get the majority of lawful votes cast.

What’s missing here is any mention of candidate qualifications, including forged academic certificates. In simple terms, this means that even if a candidate’s certificate is forged, it can no longer be used to challenge their election in court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed this change, saying that issues like forged certificates should now be handled before elections or within political parties—not in election tribunals.

With the 2027 elections approaching, this change could redefine how Nigerians hold politicians accountable and how electoral justice is enforce