The federal government has defended the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, saying the legislation closes loopholes that some political figures had hoped to exploit to manipulate presidential elections, even as opposition parties reject the law and call for its revision.
In a statement on Thursday, the Presidency described criticisms of the amended electoral law as “reckless and spurious”, insisting the changes strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework rather than weaken it.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said the opposition’s outcry reflected frustration with what he called necessary reforms. The Presidency argued that the law now effectively curtails avenues previously open for manipulation — particularly through electronic systems — by introducing safeguards that reflect Nigeria’s realities.
Onanuga said the opposition’s criticisms were “illogical” and based on misinformation. He pointed specifically to the law’s provisions on the transmission of election results, noting that while the amended Act retains real-time electronic transmission, it also allows Form EC8A as a backup in the event of network failure. According to the Presidency, this does not open a loophole for manipulation but instead ensures results are still legally valid when technical difficulties arise.
He also clarified that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV) remains a transparency tool and is not a collation centre, stressing that “the primary source for validating election results remains Form EC8.”
Onanuga further accused opposition leaders of mischaracterising provisions on party primaries, saying the Act’s support for direct primaries and consensus choices was consistent with democratic norms. The Presidency urged parties to focus on internal organisation rather than “lamentation and unwarranted outrage.”
However, opposition groups — including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) — have rejected the amended Act, alleging that its provisions could be used to tilt electoral outcomes in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. They have called on the National Assembly to reopen and revise the legislation to remove what they describe as “objectionable” clauses.
The debate comes at a politically contentious time, with critics arguing that without mandatory electronic transmission of results and other transparency measures, the integrity of future elections could be compromised.
