President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the modified Electoral Act 2026 into law, but opposition party leaders in Nigeria have rejected it, criticizing both its provisions and the procedure that led to their adoption.
Ahead to the 2027 general elections, the opposition leaders, led by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of controlling the legislative process.
Ajuri Ahmed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) claimed at a press conference in Abuja that the APC was promoting President Tinubu as the sole contender for the presidency in 2027.
The way the National Assembly enacted the amendment was criticized by him, who called the procedure dubious.
Ahmed questioned the Act’s inclusion of a manual transmission proviso, stating that figures made available to the opposition showed that election results could be electronically transferred from every polling station across the country.
One of the most controversial parts of the modified Act is still the manual collation clause, which opponents claim could compromise openness.
The opposition leaders were also taken aback by how quickly President Tinubu signed the bill into law.
He said the last election in the Federal Capital Territory showed why the ruling party was rushing to enact the Electoral Act.
The results of the FCT Area Council election were also disapproved of by the opposition leaders, who said the new Independent National Electoral Commission chairman had failed a litmus test.
