Nigeria’s opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused Senate president Godswill Akpabio of undermining democratic and ethical standards through his role in the passage of the Electoral Act 2026, intensifying a growing dispute over the law’s controversial provisions.
In a statement on Sunday, the party’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said elements of the legislation appeared designed to shield dishonesty, weaken opposition parties and erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The criticism followed remarks by Akpabio during a reception for Nigeria’s first lady, Remi Tinubu, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, where he dismissed opposition objections to the legislation and insisted the National Assembly had acted correctly.
“Each time we make a law and the opposition frowns, I get excited that I’ve made the right law,” Akpabio said, arguing that critics of the amendment were unprepared for elections.
He mocked the organisational struggles of opposition parties, claiming they were still attempting to form viable political platforms while the ruling All Progressives Congress was already mobilising nationwide ahead of the next elections.
Akpabio also pointed to internal disputes within the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, saying their leadership divisions illustrated the opposition’s lack of readiness for future polls.
But the ADC said Akpabio’s comments revealed what it described as the “subterfuge” behind the amendments.
“If the laws had been agreeable to the opposition and did not elicit complaint, those would have been the wrong laws,” the party said, arguing that such reasoning suggested the legislative process had been driven by political expediency rather than national interest.
The party singled out a provision in the amended law removing certificate forgery as a valid ground for challenging election results – a move it said contradicted constitutional provisions that disqualify candidates who submit forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the ADC, the change directly conflicts with sections 66, 107, 137 and 182 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which bar individuals who present forged certificates from holding public office.
“It is difficult to imagine a more damaging message to send to Nigerians, particularly young people, than the suggestion that certificate forgery should no longer have serious consequences,” the statement said.
The party argued that the amendments risked lowering ethical standards in public life and reinforcing international perceptions that corruption was tolerated in Nigerian politics.
It also accused the current National Assembly of placing partisan interests above democratic accountability.
“As it stands, the legacy of this National Assembly will be that of the most spineless and compromised legislature in Nigeria’s democratic history,” the party said, claiming the amendments had been crafted to serve the interests of a single political figure.
Despite the dispute, the ADC said it remained focused on building what it described as a credible political alternative capable of restoring “integrity, competence and accountability” in governance.
“History is patient,” the statement added. “When the story of this period in Nigeria’s democratic journey is written, Nigerians will remember those who defended the integrity of our democracy – and those who chose to weaken it.”
