Leaders of Nigeria’s opposition parties have stepped up pressure on the National Assembly to amend the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, warning that key provisions threaten the credibility of the 2027 general elections and risk undermining public trust in the ballot.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) described the legislation as “anti-democratic” and skewed in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The law, recently passed by parliament and assented to by Bola Tinubu on 18 February, narrows the options for selecting party candidates, shortens campaign timelines, and alters the schedule for releasing funds to the electoral commission.
Under the previous Electoral Act 2022, parties could choose between direct primaries, indirect primaries conducted by delegates, or consensus arrangements. The 2026 revision limits them to direct primaries or consensus only, a move opposition leaders argue intrudes on party autonomy.
Ajuji Ahmed, national chairman of the NNPP, said the “contentious provisions must be expunged without delay”, accusing the APC of attempting to shape the framework of the 2027 contest in its favour.
Reading from a prepared statement, Ahmed argued that a new proviso in section 60(3) grants “wide and undefined discretionary powers” to presiding officers and risks weakening the electronic transmission of results from polling units. He said this could open the door to manipulation under the guise of network failure.
Opposition figures cited past statements by former electoral officials, including the ex-chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who had said that the results transmission system functioned successfully in the vast majority of polling units and could operate offline until connectivity was restored. They also pointed to telecommunications data indicating broad 2G coverage across the country.
“It is not supported by evidence,” Ahmed said of the government’s argument that unreliable networks justify flexibility in real-time transmission. “Millions of Nigerians transact daily from the remotest parts of the country.”
The opposition also criticised the decision to release funding to the electoral commission six months before elections, rather than 12 months as previously required, warning it could constrain preparations.
Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar urged that the opposition’s concerns be communicated to foreign embassies, arguing that any erosion of democracy in Nigeria would have repercussions across Africa. “The collapse of democracy in Nigeria is going to lead to the collapse of democracy in Africa,” he said.
Peter Obi, the Labour party’s 2023 presidential candidate, used the platform to broaden the attack, accusing the government of worsening poverty, insecurity and public debt. He claimed the country’s economic and social indicators had deteriorated sharply in the past two and a half years and called for a united opposition front.
Former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi struck a more strategic note, telling supporters that the opposition’s weaknesses, rather than the president himself, posed the greatest obstacle to change. “Tinubu is not our problem; the opposition is the problem of the opposition,” he said, urging greater organisation ahead of 2027.
The Senate responded swiftly, dismissing the agitation as misplaced. Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate spokesperson, suggested critics should channel proposals through lawmakers rather than seek to inflame public opinion. “If they have any grey areas, they can just make their personal proposals to their legislators,” he said.
Orji Uzor Kalu, chair of the Senate committee on the south-east development commission, said the power to amend the Act lay squarely with the National Assembly and cautioned against “heating up the polity”.
“If they are not comfortable with the current administration, they should change it by contesting in 2027,” he said.
The exchange highlights the early manoeuvring already underway before the next general election. With the electoral framework now a battleground, the debate over the 2026 Act is fast becoming a defining fault line in Nigeria’s political landscape.
