Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday criticised the Nigeria’s Senate, accusing it of deliberately delaying amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, which he claims could lead to rigged elections in 2027.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku highlighted loopholes in the current law that allegedly enabled widespread rigging during the 2023 general elections and made it difficult for petitioners to seek justice in court.
Atiku was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections. He emphasized the urgent need for legislative reforms to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process. He referenced a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), describing it as an “indictment” of the Senate’s inaction and a call for greater responsibility from lawmakers.
“The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill,” Atiku stated, warning that failure to pass the amendments would amount to “a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast.”
The former vice president’s comments come amid ongoing debates about electoral integrity in Nigeria, where the 2023 polls were marred by allegations of irregularities, technical glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and disputes over results transmission. Atiku himself challenged the election outcome at the Supreme Court, but his petition was dismissed.
Political analysts suggest that Atiku’s intervention could reignite pressure on the National Assembly to prioritize electoral reforms. With the 2027 elections approaching, opposition figures and civil society groups have echoed calls for changes to address issues like electronic transmission of results, voter suppression, and judicial hurdles for challengers.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s office has yet to respond to Atiku’s allegations. However, previous statements from the Senate indicate that multiple bills on electoral amendments are under consideration, though progress has been slow due to competing legislative priorities.
Atiku’s post underscores a broader concern in Nigeria, where trust in institutions remains fragile following the contentious 2023 vote.
The full post reads:
A major setback to the 2023 elections is the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for the brazen rigging of that election, and the near-impossibility of petitioners to advance their cases in the courts.
It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed.
But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act.
The recent report by FIJ serves as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely call for legislative responsibility.
The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.
It is, therefore, imperative that the Senate finalises the amendments and ensures the updated law governs the conduct of the 2027 elections. Anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast. -AA
