Major opposition political parties in the country have rejected the newly-amended Electoral Act 2026, demanding that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to reflect the yearnings of Nigerians.
The leaders of the opposition parties, at a joint news conference in Abuja on Thursday, described the new Act as “anti-democratic”.
The National Chairman of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Dr Ahmed Ajuji, read the speech on behalf of all the opposition parties.
Ajuji said that the opposition considered several provisions of the Electoral Act amendment Bill 2026 signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on February 18 as an attempt to subvert the will of the people in the 2027 general elections and install a one-party state.
According to him, the implementation of the new Act will undermine electoral transparency and the sanctity of the ballot, both of which are fundamental to free, fair and credible elections and the bedrock of participatory democracy.
“Therefore, we, as patriotic leaders, standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigerians, reject the new Electoral Act,” he said.
Ajuji said the opposition parties were concerned over Section 60(3) which grants “undefined discretionary powers” to presiding officers regarding the electronic transmission of results.
He said that the section negates the purpose of introducing electronic transmission of election results from polling units.
“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 from the polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) on the pretext of network failure.
“The premise of the proviso in Section 60(3) is the unavailability or possibility of network failure. We find this premise dubious and inconsistent with reality,” he said.
Ajuji cited data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) that indicates over 95 per cent 2G coverage across the country.
Ajuji said that the opposition also rejected the provision in Section 84 which limits political parties to direct primaries and consensus for the selection of candidates.
He described the move as an “overreach” on the constitutionally-guaranteed autonomy of political parties, alleging it was designed to cause chaos within the opposition ranks ahead of 2027.
He insisted that the mode of nominating candidates should be strictly the internal affairs of political parties.
“The National Assembly cannot hide under the provision of Section 228(b) of the Constitution to restrict political parties to only two methods of nomination.
“There is nothing undemocratic about indirect primaries which create an electoral college for the selection of candidates in an objective, transparent and orderly manner.
“As a matter of fact, recent experience has shown that indirect primaries have been the most democratic of the trio provided in all the past Electoral Acts,” he said.
Ajuji said that the opposition leaders had vowed to explore all constitutional means to challenge the Act, urging civil society groups and Nigerians to join them in “saving the nation’s democracy.”
He also condemned the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing the process as a test-run for what Nigerians should expect in the 2027 general elections.
Highlighting the issue of voter apathy, Ajuji noted that the low turnout in recent elections signified a “gradual erosion of people’s confidence” in the electoral system.
Ajuji said that the opposition equally decried the recent attack on leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo, reiterating that no political grievance could justify the use of violence, the shedding of blood and killing of citizens.
Also speaking, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said that the speech delivered at the conference would be sent to all embassies in Nigeria.
Abubakar, an ADC leader, called on all other opposition parties yet to join the movement to do so in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy.
The ADC National Chairman, Sen. David Mark, also assured Nigerians that the opposition would stand for the truth as well as free and fair election.
A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, called on the opposition parties to wake up and not to give in to the antics of the ruling party.
The Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also emphasised the need for opposition parties ‘to come together and save Nigeria’s democracy’.
Other opposition leaders at the news conference were former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Liyel Imoke of Osun and Cross River, Senator Ireti Kingibe, Secretary of NNPP Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima and the immediate past National Chairman of ADC, Ralph Nwosu.
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