Nigeria’s leading opposition figures yesterday launched a coordinated political offensive against President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress, APC-led government, rejecting the newly-amended Electoral Act 2026, and warned it could spark a democratic crisis ahead of the 2027 general election.
The coalition, which brings together some of the country’s most prominent opposition voices, described the dispute over the electoral law as a critical test of Nigeria’s electoral credibility. It called for urgent amendments to the law and urged citizens, civil society groups and the international community to pay close attention to what it termed a growing threat to democratic rule.
The position was contained in a statement read by Ajuji Ahmed, the national chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and endorsed at the world press conference by Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senator David Mark, national chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, national secretary of the ADC; former Anambra Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; former Rivers governor, Rotimi Amaechi; former Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke; Senator Ireti Kingibe; Senator Dino Melaye; and Secretary of the NNPP Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima; among other opposition figures who were physically present.
Reading the coalition’s position, Ahmed said the opposition leaders came together with what he described as a shared resolve to rescue Nigeria’s democracy and prevent the nation from sliding into what they warned could be ‘failure and collapse.’
“We have met and decided to collectively articulate our position against the offensive and anti-democratic Electoral Act, 2026, as well as other related matters that equally portend danger to our democracy.
“We all saw as Nigerians across various divides expressed their discontent… how the peaceful citizens were met with violent repression and disdain by a government that has effectively become deaf, desperate and dictatorial,” Ahmed read.
The opposition maintained that several provisions in the amended law, especially the changes affecting electronic transmission of results, could weaken the transparency and credibility of future elections.
“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,” the opposition leaders declared.
At the centre of the dispute is the controversial proviso in Section 60(3), which the opposition says gives too much discretion to presiding officers and weakens the framework for electronic transmission of results.
“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,” the coalition said.
The group dismissed the network failure argument, pointing to earlier public assurances by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
