POLITICS
Electoral Act: Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, Mark, Others Reject Amendment
By David Torough, Abuja
Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have called on the National Assembly to begin a fresh process to amend the Electoral Act.
Speaking on behalf of the opposition at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the NNPP National Chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, urged lawmakers to expunge all objectionable provisions contained in the Act.
Under the Electoral Act 2022, political parties were permitted to nominate candidates through direct primaries involving all registered members, indirect primaries conducted by delegates, or consensus arrangements reached by party leaders.
However, the Electoral Act 2026, recently passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu on February 18, restricts parties to only direct primaries and consensus options.
In addition, the new law shortens campaign periods and timelines for primaries, while funding for the Independent National Electoral Commission will now be released six months before an election instead of the previous 12 months.
Ahmed stated that opposition leaders view certain provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which was signed into law by Tinubu with what they described as undue haste, as an alleged deliberate move by the All Progressives Congress-led administration to undermine the will of the people ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said, “We therefore state unequivocally that the new Electoral Act is anti-democratic, and its implementation will undermine electoral transparency and the sanctity of the ballot, which are fundamental to free, fair and credible elections and the bedrock of participatory democracy.
“The introduction of the provision in Section 60(3), which allows wide and undefined discretionary powers to the presiding officer, overrides and 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 IReV on the pretext of network failure.
“The premise of the provision in Section 60(3) is the unavailability or possibility of network failure. We find this premise dubious and inconsistent with reality. The immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, stated on record that the BVAS equipment, which operates offline, had worked with over a 90 per cent success rate across the nation, and in the event of network failure at the point of transmission, the transmitted results would be delivered successfully whenever the network became available.
“This position has been further confirmed most recently by a former INEC Commissioner, Festus Okoye, as widely reported, that every polling unit in Nigeria has internet access. Indeed, these statements by those who have been in a position to know provide a counterfactual to the lies that are being fed to the Nigerian people by a government that has lost respect for reason and reality.”
Ahmed added that the accounts of the two INEC officials were strongly corroborated by data available in the public domain.
He said, “According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, as of 2023, Nigeria had achieved more than 95 per cent 2G coverage, which is more than sufficient for the transmission of election results from polling units.
“By that same period, Nigeria already had more than 159 million internet subscribers and more than 220 million telephone subscribers using the 2G network. It is also noteworthy that this capacity provides 24-hour coverage of the entire country. This goes to show that denying mandatory real-time transmission of election results from polling units on the basis of a lack of a communication network is not supported by evidence.
“Fortunately, millions of our people who transact business daily with various financial platforms, even from the remotest parts of the country, know that the no-network argument is fraudulent and is merely part of the APC game plan to rig the election in 2027.
“Indeed, we find it quite ironic that the same APC that strongly agitated for electronic voting only a few years ago is now opposed to the use of technology for the mere transmission of results. The game at hand is very clear.”
On party primaries, the opposition leaders stated that the amendment to Section 84 of the Act, which confines political parties to direct primaries and consensus in selecting candidates, amounts to an encroachment on the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of parties in managing their internal affairs.
They further argued that the National Assembly cannot rely on Section 228(b) of the Constitution as a basis to limit political parties to only two methods of nomination.
Ahmed said, “There is nothing undemocratic about indirect primaries, which create an electoral college for the selection of candidates in an objective, transparent and orderly manner.
“Our position, therefore, is that as political parties, we do not need legislation that prescribes which mode of party primaries political parties must adopt. In other words, the mode of nominating candidates should be strictly the internal affair of political parties.
“It is obvious that the objective of the APC government and its accomplices in the legislature is to provide the legal pretext for the corruption of the electoral system. They harbour neither plans nor intentions to conduct free and fair elections in 2027 because, even in their arrogance and self-delusion, they are acutely aware of their growing unpopularity across the length and breadth of Nigeria, despite the recent gale of coerced and procured defections to their party.
“We demand that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to the Electoral Act 2026 to remove all obnoxious provisions and ensure that the Act reflects only the will and aspirations of Nigerians for a free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.”
Opposition leaders in attendance included the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark; NNPP chieftain Buba Galadima; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Also present at the Lagos/Osun Hall of Transcorp, Abuja, were the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; and the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, among other stakeholders.
Others included Senator Dino Melaye, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, and former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, among others.
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
All is set for the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State to commission its new secretariat on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The commissioning of the new secretariat became imperative following the sack of the Solomon Agwana-led State Working Committee in April 2025 and the abandonment of the old secretariat along Isaac Boro Expressway, Yenagoa.
The acting chairman of the caretaker committee of PDP in Bayelsa State, Hon Alabh George Turnah, will perform the commissioning of the new secretariat.
The opening of the secretariat is expected to be witnessed by party leaders in the state, including newly elected ward and local government executives of the party, women, and youth groups.
A statement by the acting state secretary of the party, Alfreder Ebibofayei Ato, stated that the commissioning would precede the Bayelsa State Elective Congress.
She also disclosed that the inauguration and swearing in of all elected Ward, Local Government, and the State Executive Committee members would take place after the commissioning of the new state secretariat.
Ato enjoined all members of the party and Bayelsans to troop out to join the leadership of the party in celebrating a new dawn of PDP in Bayelsa state.
A source in the caretaker committee hinted that party stalwarts, including the national leader of the party, Nyesom Wike, the national chairman, Abdulrahman Moahammed, National Secretary, Sameul Anyanwu, and National Vice- Chairman, South- South, Chief Dan Orbih, are not expected in the state because of their involvement in preparations to ensure a befitting National Convention billed for Abuja on 29th and 30th of March.
The party had a peaceful and successful local government congress across the eight local government areas on Saturday, March 7, which produced eight local government chairmen of the party.
The party had held successful ward congresses on March 3 across the 105 wards in the state, demonstrating the acceptability of the party in the state by Bayelsans.
Hon Turnah had, during the conduct of the Ogbia Local Government congress in Ogbia town, declared that the successful conduct of wards and local government congresses across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State is verifiable evidence that the PDP is alive in Bayelsa State.
He had dismissed all fears of the collapse of the party in Bayelsa State, stressing that the party would field credible candidates in the 2027 elections and reclaim Bayelsa State.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Amid Opposition turmoil, no fewer than nine senators from different political parties formally announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday, further reshaping the political configuration of the Senate.
Those who declared for the party include the lawmaker representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal; his Abia South counterpart, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South); Victor Umeh (Anambra Central); Tony Nwoye (Anambra North); Lawal Usman (Kaduna Central); Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South); Austin Akobundu (Abia Central); and Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory).
Their letters of defection were read on the floor of the Senate during Thursday’s plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye attributed his decision to internal crises within the Labour Party.
“I wish to tender my resignation amid the ongoing multiple litigations within the Labour Party, which have significantly affected the cohesion and stability of the party.
“Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards,” Nwoye’s defection read.
Reacting after reading the letters, Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers to their new political platform but dismissed suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress was responsible for the wave of defections.
He said, “Deputy Senate President and Leader of the Senate, I hope you noticed that I have read (defections) from three different political parties now. So, you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership. Here, we have APGA, Labour, SDP, and all of them.
“So, all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, the APC cannot be blamed for this.
“They are all out to ensure that we have what you call a minority status in this chamber, and I am very proud of them.”
The latest defections further underscore the continuing political realignments in the 10th Senate, where lawmakers have repeatedly switched party allegiances amid internal disputes within several opposition parties.
As of Thursday, the APC retains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party has dwindled to seven members.
The ADC, boosted by the latest defections, now has seven senators in the chamber.
Other minority parties include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each of which has one senator, bringing the total membership of the Senate to 106.
The Labour Party and Social Democratic Party currently have no representation in the upper chamber following the latest defections.
Director of Research of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, has warned that mega bucks and brute force will determine the eventual winner of next year’s presidential election.
Speaking against the backdrop of concerns regarding the intense competition and the significant influence of financial resources in the upcoming electoral cycle, Dr Fapohunda speculated that what the 31 All Progressives Congress (APC), Governors need to do is to dedicate their four-month Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to ‘buy’ the election.
He said given the spiralling hunger in the land, all the ruling Party will need to do is give each voter N20,000 and N50,000 instead of the usual N5,000, for them to vote and guarantee winning the election at all costs.
According to him: “We now have 31 Governors who are in one basket; all they need to do is to devote the four-month FAAC allocation to buy whatever is ready to be bought. You can’t beat that. Any money that comes, even if it’s from the devil, people will take it.
“If you vote, don’t collect N5,000, collect N20,000, N50,000; that’s what is going to happen. So, whosoever has might, will win.
“Election is war, everything is fair when you are fighting a war. If APC has the tools to defeat ADC and PDP, they are in a war front. It’s a war, in a do-or-die situation, who wants to die?
“APC wants to live and others must die. Until we change the rules and bring the temperature down to a civilised society, everything is fair.”
Also commenting on Afenifere’s position about restructuring, Fapohunda said the organisation has submitted a demand for restructuring and creation of western Nigeria to the National Assembly, insisting that contrary to insinuations in some circles, restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy.
Dr Fapohunda, who explained that restructuring will be voluntary to all entities, with a referendum prepared by the association to make it open and fair to all, said: “Restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy. In Yoruba land, we have six states, but it might be eight; we are looking at Kogi and Kwara States because they are Yoruba people too. It’s going to be voluntary; it won’t be by force.”
Citing an example with the Yoruba nation, the Afenifere Research Director said: “In Yoruba land, we have 26 entities, Ijebu is Ijebu, Osogbo is Osogbo, Oyo is Oyo, Ibadan is Ibadan, among others”, adding that: “They have different dialects but they are Yoruba people and they are free to be on their own.”
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