Section 155 Electoral Act 2026

Section 155 of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2026 is about Interpretation. It provides as follows:

In this Act —
“Area Council” means Area Councils recognised and existing by virtue of section 3 (6) of the Constitution and as set out in Part II of the First Schedule to the Constitution and any additional Area Council provided by an Act of the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution;

“appointment” includes appointment to an office, confirmation of appointment, promotion or transfer;
“aspirant” means a person who aspires or seeks or strives to contest an
election to a political office;

“association” means a body of persons (corporate or otherwise) who agree to act together for any common purpose and includes an association formed for any ethnic, social, cultural, occupational or religious purpose;
“Attorney-General of the Federation” means the Chief Law Officer of the Federation;

“Area Councils” means Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory;
“authority” includes government or government agency and corporate bodies;
“campaigning in public” referred to in section 99 of this Act means the campaign that commences after the publication of the notice of election by the Commission under section 28 of this Act;

“candidate” means a person who has secured the nomination of a political
party to contest an election for any elective office;
“Chief Electoral Commissioner” means the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission;
“civil servant” means a person employed in the Civil Service of the Federation or of a State or Local government as contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999;

“Clerk” means the Clerk to the National Assembly, Clerk of the State House of Assembly, and Clerk of the Legislative House of the Local Government or Area Council or any person acting in that capacity;

“Commission” means the Independent National Electoral Commission established by the Constitution;
“Constitution” means the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Cap. C23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004;

“conviction” means a pronouncement by a court or tribunal that a person is guilty of an offence under this Act or under the provisions of the Constitution whether or not any punishment is imposed on the person as a result of the conviction and includes admission by a person in writing, verbally, or by conduct that he is guilty, or has committed or aided and abetted the commission of the offence or crime concerned;

“conduct” referred to in the latter is, for instance, where a person reimburses the sums of money or any parts of it obtained through corrupt practice in order to avoid prosecution;
“decision” means in relation to court or tribunal, any determination of that court or tribunal and includes a judgment, decree, conviction, sentence, order or recommendation;

“direct primaries” means an election at which candidates for elective office are chosen by direct vote of political party members instead of by delegates at a convention or congress;

“election” means any election held under this Act and includes a referendum;
“electoral officer” means a staff of the Commission who is the head of the Commission’s office at a Local Government Area or Area Council level;

“electronic format” refers to the electronic version of the Register of Voters or National Electronic Register of Election Results created, recorded, transmitted or stored in digital form or in other intangible forms by electronic, magnetic or optical means or by any other means that has capabilities for creation, recording, transmission or storage similar to those means and which may be converted to or reproduced in a paper document;

“Federation” means the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
“function” includes powers and duties;
“general election” means an election held in the Federation at large which may be at all levels, and at regular intervals to select officers to serve after the expiration of the full terms of their predecessors;

“Government” includes the Government of the Federation, a State, Local Government Area or Area Council, or any person or organ exercising power or authority on its behalf;