Section 57 Electoral Act 2026

Section 57 of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2026 is about Impersonation by applicant to vote. It provides as follows:

(1) Where at the time a person applies to vote and before he or she has left the polling unit, a Polling Agent, polling unit official or security agent informs the Presiding Officer that he or she has reasonable cause to believe that the person is under the age of 18 years or has committed the offence of impersonation and gives an undertaking on a prescribed form to substantiate the charge in a court of law, the Presiding Officer may order a police officer to arrest that person and the
Presiding Officer’s order shall be sufficient authority for the police officer to act.

(2) Any person in respect of whom a Polling Agent, polling official, or security agent gives an information in accordance with the provision of subsection (1) shall not by reason of the information, be prevented from voting, but the Presiding Officer shall cause the words “protested against for impersonation” to be placed against his or her name in the marked copy of the register of voters or part of the register of voters.

(3) Where a person in respect of whom a declaration is made under subsection (2), admits to the Presiding Officer that he or she is not the person he or she held
themselves out to be, he or she shall not be permitted to vote and shall be handed over to the police or security agent.

(4) Any person arrested under this section shall be deemed to be a person taken into custody by a police officer.

[/membership]