Opposition Leaders Reject 2026 Electoral Act, Accuse APC Of Manipulating 2027 Election Process
Leaders of Nigeria’s opposition parties have rejected the recently amended Electoral Act 2026, which was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The opposition coalition, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and leaders of major parties, criticized both the content of the act and the manner in which it was passed by the National Assembly.
At a press briefing, Ajuri Ahmed of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of using the amendment to position President Tinubu as the sole credible presidential contender for 2027.
Ahmed highlighted that available technology allows election results to be transmitted from every polling unit and questioned why the act retains provisions for manual collation of votes. He also expressed surprise at the speed with which the President signed the law, noting that other legislation had not received similar expedited treatment.
He pointed to the recently concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections as evidence of the APC’s rush, claiming the results demonstrated flaws in the process. The opposition leaders rejected the outcome of the FCT Area Council polls, describing them as a litmus test that exposed the new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman’s inability to manage elections effectively.
