Opposition parties under the banner of the Opposition Movement in Nigeria have rejected the Electoral Act 2026, describing it as anti-democratic and a threat to free, fair and credible elections.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ajuji Ahmed, speaking on behalf of the coalition, alleged that the new law was designed to weaken opposition parties, compromise democratic institutions and entrench one-party dominance.
Ahmed specifically criticised a proviso in Section 60(3) of the Act, which he said grants wide discretionary powers to presiding officers and undermines the purpose of electronic transmission of election results.
According to him, the provision could allow manipulation of results under the pretext of network failure by delaying electronic transmission from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
“This negation is unambiguously intended to provide a blank cheque to those who seek to manipulate election results by delaying the electronic transmission of results,” he said.
The opposition leaders said they had met to articulate a unified position against what they termed “offensive and anti-democratic” provisions in the Act, recently passed by the APC-led National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
They argued that the implementation of the law would undermine electoral transparency and the sanctity of the ballot, which they described as fundamental to participatory democracy.
“We state unequivocally that the new Electoral Act is anti-democratic, and its implementation will undermine electoral transparency and sanctity of the ballot,” Ahmed declared.
The coalition also accused the ruling party of reversing its earlier stance in favour of electronic voting and technology-driven electoral processes.
“It is ironic that the same APC that agitated for electronic voting is now opposed to the use of technology for transmission of results,” he added.
The opposition parties called on the National Assembly to immediately commence a fresh amendment of the Electoral Act 2026 to remove what they described as “obnoxious provisions” and ensure that the law reflects the will of Nigerians.
They warned that failure to address their concerns could trigger political instability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Friday Olokor, Abuja
Follow us on:
