Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures converged on the nation’s capital on Thursday to demand an immediate and comprehensive overhaul of the Electoral Act.
Leaders from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) called on the National Assembly to initiate a fresh legislative process to amend the act ahead of future polls.
NNPP National Chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, urged federal lawmakers to expunge all objectionable provisions contained in the Act.
Prominent opposition figures at the meeting included former Senate President David Mark; NNPP chieftain Buba Galadima; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Also in attendance at the Lagos/Osun Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, were the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; and the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, alongside other stakeholders.
Others present included Senator Dino Melaye, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, and former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, among several dignitaries.
Following is the full text of the conference:
1. We gather here as leaders of Nigeria’s major opposition political parties with a shared aspiration to save our democracy and indeed our nation from impending failure and collapse.
2. We have met and decided to collectively articulate our position against the offensive and anti-democratic Electoral Act, 2026 recently passed by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led National Assembly and hurriedly assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as other related matters that equally portends danger to our democracy.
3. We all saw as Nigerians across various divides expressed their discontent with the anti-democratic provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026 at the various public hearings and protests at the National Assembly grounds. But we also saw how the peaceful citizens were met with violent repression and disdain by a government that has effectively become deaf, desperate and dictatorial.
4. We consider several provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 signed into law with such contemptuous haste by President Tinubu as a major offensive by the APC administration to subvert the will of the people in the 2027 general elections. This joint briefing and other collaborative efforts that would follow are therefore designed by the opposition parties to save our democracy, and more importantly, to save our country from political crisis that may follow if the will of the people are subverted yet again.
5. We therefore state unequivocally that the new Electoral Act is anti-democratic, and its implementation will undermine electoral transparency and sanctity of the ballot which are fundamental to free, fair and credible elections and the bedrock of participatory democracy.
6. This obnoxious Electoral Act, 2026 is without doubt enacted to undermine democracy in Nigeria and it is part of the on-going design by the Tinubu-led APC to disorganize and weaken opposition, corrupt the electoral system, compromise democratic institutions and foist a totalitarian one-party rule on Nigeria. Therefore, we, as patriotic leaders, standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigerians, reject the new Electoral Act for the following reasons.
THE NEW ACT: DISCRETION WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY IS CORRUPTION
7. The introduction of the proviso 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 check 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.
8. 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. The immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, stated on record that the BVAS equipment, which operates offline, had worked with over 90% 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 network is available. This position has been further confirmed most recently by the 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 counterfactual to the lies that are being fed to the Nigerian people by a government that has lost respect for reason and reality.
9. The testimonies of these two principal officers of INEC have also been strongly supported by publicly available data. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, as at 2023 Nigeria had achieved more than 95% 2G coverage, which is more than sufficient for transmission of election results from polling units. And by that same period, Nigeria already had more than 159 million internet subscribers, and more than 220 million telephone subscribers using 2G network. It is also noteworthy that ThisIt is also noteworthy that Nigeria’s satellite organisation, NICOMSAT, has the capacity for 24 hour coverage of the entire country. This goes to show that denying mandatory real-time transmission of election results from the polling units on the basis of lack of 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.
10. 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 mere transmission of results. The game at hand is very clear.
PRIMARIES: HIJACKING THE INDEPENDENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
11. Furthermore, the amendment to Section 84 of the Act, limiting political parties to direct primaries and consensus for the purpose of selection of candidates is clearly an overreach on the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of political parties in the exercise of their internal affairs. 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.
12. 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. We recall many situations where during direct primaries, the winning candidates were allocated votes that eventually exceeded the total number of votes cast in the subsequent general elections, clearly showing the unreliability of direct primaries. We have also witnessed situations of forced consensus, like the recent case of Osun APC Governorship primaries.
13. Our position therefore is that as political parties we do not need legislation that prescribes what mode of party primaries political parties must adopt. In other words, the mode of nominating candidates should be strictly the internal affairs of political parties. There can only be one reason for this particular amendment: to create chaos and disorder in the ranks of opposition political parties in the hope that they would not be able to present a candidate and President Tinubu would be the only serious candidate in the 2027 Presidential election. What they are working towards is the coronation of Tinubu in 2027. Therefore, we find this amendment in bad faith and we reject it outrightly. In the coming days, we shall explore every constitutional means to cure this indirect hijack of the independence of political parties.
ANTI-PEOPLE AND ANTI-DEMOCRATIC
14. Since the commencement of the process of Electoral Act Amendment more than two years ago, Nigerians made their desires abundantly clear during the public hearings and stakeholder sessions held to obtain and onboard the peoples’ desires and perspectives. The reports submitted to both chambers of the National Assembly therefore carried well-thought-out and well-considered clause-by-clause recommendations from stakeholders and citizens across the country. But the will of the people were eventually subverted and their views rubbished.
15. We commend the opposition lawmakers, who despite intimidation and harassment stood firmly against anti-democratic forces in both chambers and in defence of democracy. In the same token, we condemn the transactional conduct of those lawmakers who initially supported the progressive provisions of the legislation only to capitulate when it matters most.
16. Let us sound this note of warning: the people are watching and taking note. At the appropriate time, the people would remember those who stood in defence of their democratic aspirations and those who sold the will of the people for a mess of pottage.
FCT ELECTION AS TEST-RUN OF 2027 APC RIGGING PLAN
17. Many had been surprised by the desperate haste with which President Tinubu signed this anti-democratic law without even bothering to study it. Nigerians have also wondered at this uncharacteristic speed from the President on this electoral law, while he continues to prevaricate, waiver and dawdle over other serious legislations, policies and actions that could actually improve the lives of citizens. But then, the FCT Local Government elections came and it all became clear.
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18. Perhaps, the most important lesson that the opposition learnt from the FCT election is that President Tinubu and his APC do not care about free and fair election. In fact, it is quite clear that the very fear of free and fair election is what had led them to mutilate the electoral law and insert loopholes that they could exploit for rigging and manipulation, especially at the collation stage. We saw it clearly in the FCT election where votes claimed by the APC outstrips the total number of accredited voters by several folds. We in the opposition therefore condemn that election as disgustingly fraudulent. But more importantly, it provides practical evidence of what the APC intend to achieve with Section (60) 3 of the new Act.
19. The opposition therefore considers the blatant rigging of the FCT election as a wake-up call. We have learnt important lessons from this experience. We have given the new INEC Chairman the benefits of the doubts. The FCT election was his litmus test and from what we have seen, he has failed to convince us that anything would change under his watch, therefore telling us that we can only trust in our capacity and determination to protect our votes.
VOTER APATHY AS VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
20. Perhaps, the most important highlight of the FCT election is the historic low voter turnout, ranging from 15% in the Area Councils and 7.2% in the AMAC. This is consistent with recent turnout figures in recent off-cycle elections. As political parties and members of the political class, this disturbing trend signifies gradual erosion of the people’s confidence in the integrity of the electoral system. Nigerians are telling themselves that their votes no longer count. The issue of voter apathy speaks directly to the question of legitimacy and credibility. While our elections are determined by simple majority, to what extent can a government whose mandate derives from a tiny fraction of the electorates, claim to truly reflect the choice of the people? We believe that the only solution to voter apathy is to convince the people once again that their votes will not be stolen and elections would not be manipulated. But more importantly, for the government to truly commit to improving the lives of citizens so people can believe that democracy comes with real benefits.
EDO ATTACK AND GROWING VIOLENCE AGAINT OPPOSITION
21. The recent assault on leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State highlights the growing acts of political violence and intolerance in our country in recent times. We condemn in the most unequivocal and strongest terms the incidence in Edo on Wednesday February 24, as well as other similar attacks in other parts of the country.
Democracy thrives on healthy competition of ideas, not on thuggery, and unprovoked criminal unleashing of raw violence on the opposition. We have seen this in Lagos State. Only last Saturday, one of the ADC party agents was brutally killed during the FCT Election. This culture of intolerance, thuggery, and violence against opposition party leaders therefore poses a potent danger to democracy and national stability. This is dangerous and completely unacceptable.
22. It is quite ironic indeed that the APC, a political party that rode to power under an atmosphere of political liberty and tolerance has now committed itself to re-establishing the dangerous culture of violence and thuggery that we thought our politics have outgrown as a democracy. We reiterate that no political grievance can justify the use of violence, the shedding of blood and the killing of citizens. We, and all compatriots, as well as those who cherish the institutionalization of democracy in Nigeria will therefore never accept a return to the days of politics based on violence. We will not be cowed. We will not be intimidated.
THE CREEPING WEAPONISATION OF JUDICIARY
23. The final arbiter in any democracy is the judiciary. It is therefore impossible to have real democracy without an independent and impartial judiciary. Unfortunately, we have witnessed in recent years how the very institution that is meant to protect democracy has been weaponized against democracy itself. We therefore wish to remind the judiciary that partisan politics is for the executive and the legislature, not the judiciary. The judiciary must stop being complicit in undermining our democracy. What we have witnessed in recent times represent strong evidence that our judiciary is in dire need of reform and the temple of justice is in need of deep cleansing. A situation where elections are blatantly rigged and those who participated such criminality are quick to say “if you are not happy, go to court” has done immeasurable damage to our democratic progress and it must be stopped. Electoral outcomes must be decided by the people, and not the courts. The judiciary must therefore re-discover its capacity for impartiality and neutrality and regain the intrinsic trust of citizens in its judgments.
CONCLUSION
24. As true believers in the tenets of electoral democracy and leaders of the main opposition parties in Nigeria, we alert that our country is being pushed to the precipice by the very institutions that are vested with the constitutional powers to uphold and defend our democracy. Already we are confronted with a citizenry that is increasingly cynical of our democracy and what it promises. The trust deficit widens exponentially on a daily basis. Citizen disengagement, voter apathy, the erosion of rule of law, and the desecration of our institutions have become emblematic of our democracy. Majority of our people are losing faith in democracy. This is a very dangerous trend that we can only arrest by truly handing power back to the people.
25. The National Assembly failed in its duty to act in the interest of the country and citizens. This 10th assembly acted solely in their narrow and selfish interests. The National Assembly rejected the opportunity to deepen and strengthen our democratic process when it was presented to them by the people. They rejected the chance to act as true patriots when history beckoned; they chose to tear down rather than build a truly democratic society. History will remember them for this.
26. It is obvious that the objective of the APC government and their 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 even with the recent gale of coerced and procured defections to their party.
27. 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 aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.
28. We hereby wish to assure Nigerians that the opposition stand in unity and shall meet the ongoing shenanigans with equal resolve. We urge the people not to be deterred or be discouraged. We are committed to defending our democracy and we are prepared to defend your votes and ensure that every vote counts. We hear you loud and clear. We know your desire for a government that cares for you, a government that listens to you, and a government that protects you. We will not let you down.
29. We call on all lovers of democracy to join us in this journey to save the world’s largest black democracy from this growing civilian dictatorship of President Bola Tinubu. We call on the civil society groups to join us in the task of saving our democracy and our beloved nation. This is the time to stand up and be counted.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!”
TheNiche
