Atiku: Credibility of 2027 elections at stake as ‘senate delays’ Electoral Act amendment
Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, has faulted what he described as weaknesses in Nigeria’s Electoral Act, saying they enabled alleged manipulation of the 2023 general election and weakened the ability of aggrieved candidates to secure justice in court.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Atiku said the gaps in the Electoral Act 2022 made it difficult for election petitioners to successfully challenge results, even when irregularities were alleged.
“A major setback to the 2023 elections is the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for brazen rigging and made it nearly impossible for petitioners to advance their cases in the courts,” he wrote.
The former vice-president said urgent reforms are required if Nigeria is to avoid a repeat of the issues that trailed the last general election.
According to him, the law governing elections must be reviewed ahead of the 2027 polls to address the shortcomings exposed in 2023.
“If the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal framework for conducting the 2027 and subsequent elections must be reviewed,” Atiku said.
He accused the Nigerian Senate of deliberately slowing down the process of amending the Electoral Act.
“At this point, it is obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act,” he added.
Atiku cited a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism as further justification for legislative oversight and accountability.
“The report by FIJ stands as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely reminder of its responsibility,” he said.
He warned that the credibility of the 2027 general election would depend largely on how quickly lawmakers act on the proposed amendments.
“The integrity of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this bill. Anything short of that amounts to an attempt to rig the election long before votes are cast,” Atiku said.
In January, Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, said the upper chamber would fast-track the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill in 2026.
