A coalition of opposition political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has rejected the new Electoral Act, stating that it is capable of undermining democracy in the country.
The parties noted that loopholes that could be exploited were inserted into the electoral law because of the alleged fear of the ruling party of free and fair elections.
The opposition parties, which spoke at a press briefing attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; ADC national chairman David Mark; Buba Galadima, among others, picked holes in Section 60(3) and Section 84 of the Electoral Act.
According to them, Section 60(3) and Section 84 of the Electoral Act, which provide for electronic transmission of results and prescribe direct primaries and consensus for nomination of candidates, respectively, are part of alleged plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the 2027 general election.
They noted that, besides the briefing, they would take other collective measures to save the country “from a political crisis that may follow if the will of the people is subverted yet again”.
The National Assembly had rejected mandatory transmission of election results in the new electoral law, as well as restricted political parties to direct primaries and consensus for the nomination of candidates.
Despite protestations by opposition political parties and civil society, President Tinubu signed the new electoral law within 24 hours after it was passed by the parliament.
The opposition parties, in a text read by the NNPP national chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, stated that the new Electoral Act is undemocratic, noting that its implementation would undermine electoral transparency and participatory democracy.
He said: “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.”
