Opposition Parties Reject Electoral Act 2026, Demand Fresh Review

Opposition Parties Reject Electoral Act 2026, Demand Fresh Review

Two opposition parties, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have formally kicked against the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, urging the National Assembly to reopen the legislation for immediate amendment.

At a joint press briefing in Abuja, NNPP National Chairman Ajuji Ahmed, flanked by key opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi, described the law as detrimental to Nigeria’s democratic framework.

The coalition alleged that certain provisions of the Act could weaken electoral transparency and tilt the political field in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to them, the legislation contains clauses that risk narrowing political competition and consolidating power within a single dominant party.

Central to their objections is the absence of a mandatory requirement for real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

They argued that allowing manual transmission as an alternative creates vulnerabilities that could undermine the credibility of elections.

The parties also faulted amendments restricting political parties to direct primaries and consensus methods for nominating candidates.

They characterized the move as an intrusion into internal party affairs and warned that it could destabilize opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The ADC had earlier voiced reservations over the proposed rescheduling of the 2027 elections to November 2026, cautioning that such a shift could plunge the country into prolonged political campaigns at the expense of governance.

Opposition leaders further criticized the speed with which President Bola Tinubu assented to the bill on February 18, 2026, shortly after its passage by lawmakers. They described the action as rushed and insensitive to concerns raised by stakeholders.

The coalition vowed to explore all constitutional and legal mechanisms to challenge the implementation of the Act, warning that failure to address their concerns could heighten political tensions in the lead-up to 2027.

They called on lawmakers to initiate a fresh amendment process, insisting that electoral reforms must strengthen, rather than weaken, public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system.