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By Goli Innocent
Leaders of opposition political parties have rejected the amended Electoral Act 2026 recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the process leading to its passage as flawed and politically motivated.
The opposition figures, led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, faulted what they termed the “way and manner” the legislation was passed by the National Assembly of Nigeria, insisting that critical stakeholders were sidelined.
Addressing journalists at a press conference, Ajuri Ahmed of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was positioning President Tinubu as the sole viable contender in the 2027 presidential election.
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Ahmed said statistics available to the opposition indicate that election results can be transmitted electronically from every polling unit nationwide, questioning why a manual proviso was inserted into the amended law.
He added that the opposition was surprised at the speed with which the president assented to the bill, noting that other pieces of legislation did not receive similar urgency.
According to him, the recently concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council election underscored why the APC was in haste to secure presidential assent to the Electoral Act amendment.
The opposition leaders also rejected the FCT poll, arguing that the area council election was a litmus test for the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which they claim he failed.
