Atiku to Nationwide Meeting: Repair harmful loophole in Electoral Act now earlier than 2027
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has issued a stern warning over what he described as a grave and harmful ambiguity in Nigeria’s Electoral Act, calling on the Nationwide Meeting to behave instantly safeguard the sanctity of the poll.
In an announcement signed Wednesday in Abuja, by his Senior Particular Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the Waziri Adamawa raised alarm over Part 63 of the Act, notably the supply that permits a poll paper with out an official mark to be counted on the discretion of a returning officer.
“This isn’t a minor technical subject—it’s a direct threat to electoral integrity,” Atiku declared.
He warned that any authorized provision that allows discretion in figuring out the validity of poll papers creates a loophole that could possibly be exploited to compromise the need of the folks.
“A democracy can’t survive on ambiguity. A poll should both meet the usual or it doesn’t. The second you allow such a important choice to subjective judgment, you invite manipulation, dispute, and in the end, chaos,” he mentioned.
Atiku careworn that whereas the supply might have been conceived to forestall voter disenfranchisement, its present framing is dangerously open-ended and able to undermining public belief within the electoral system.
“At a time when Nigerians are demanding transparency and credibility, it’s reckless to retain a clause that weakens confidence within the very basis of democracy—the vote,” he added.
He famous with concern that this provision will not be new, however a legacy loophole carried over from earlier electoral legal guidelines into the present Act with out adequate safeguards.
“Fairly than shut recognized gaps in our electoral framework, the modification regrettably preserved a provision that also leaves room for subjective interpretation at a important stage of the method,” Atiku mentioned.
The previous Vice President subsequently referred to as on the Nationwide Meeting to urgently amend the Electoral Act to remove any room for discretion in poll validation and to determine clear, non-negotiable requirements that defend the integrity of each vote.
He additionally urged the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to maneuver swiftly to tighten its operational tips and be certain that electoral officers usually are not positioned in positions the place private judgment might override verifiable requirements.
Moreover, Atiku referred to as on the worldwide group, election observers, and democratic companions to pay shut consideration to Nigeria’s electoral authorized framework, noting that the credibility of future elections relies upon as a lot on the regulation as on the method.
“The world is watching. Nigeria should not ship a sign that its electoral system might be bent by interpretation,” he cautioned.
The previous Vice President famous that it was deeply disappointing that such a controversial provision has continued to outlive a number of legislative revisions, stressing that lawmakers must have exercised higher diligence in safeguarding the sanctity of the poll.
“The management of the Nationwide Meeting ought to have been extra cautionary than informal in dealing with provisions that contact the very coronary heart of our democracy. A poll paper will not be an strange piece of paper—it’s a authorized instrument whose authenticity is central to the credibility of the whole electoral course of,” he mentioned.
Atiku additional held that the accountability doesn’t finish with the legislature, pointing to the function of the manager in making certain that legal guidelines handed meet the best requirements of integrity.
“The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, additionally bears an obligation to topic each important laws to rigorous scrutiny earlier than appending his signature. Management calls for vigilance. The doc he assented to must have handed essentially the most stringent integrity check,” Atiku added.
He careworn that the place gaps are recognized in legal guidelines governing elections, they have to be corrected decisively and at once.
“This isn’t about blame—it’s about accountability. And this provision have to be corrected to revive public confidence and defend the sanctity of the vote,” he mentioned.
Atiku concluded with a agency warning: “This loophole have to be corrected. Democracy thrives on certainty, not discretion—and Nigeria can’t afford something much less.”