By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
The Presidency on Thursday criticised leading opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), over what it described as “reckless and spurious allegations” against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government regarding the amended Electoral Act.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused the opposition of constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage over provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.
The statement said the National Assembly enacted amendments to allow for real-time transmission of election results, while retaining Form EC8A as a fallback mechanism in the event of network failure.
It dismissed claims that the backup provision created a loophole for manipulation, describing such arguments as illogical.
According to the Presidency, the amended law does not prohibit real-time transmission of results but provides that where electronic transmission fails due to technical glitches, results recorded on Form EC8A shall remain valid.
It further clarified that the IReV (INEC Results Viewing Portal) is not a collation centre but a public viewing platform, stressing that the primary legal instrument for validating election results remains Form EC8.
The statement also faulted the opposition’s rejection of direct primaries and consensus voting for candidate selection.
It argued that the removal of delegate-based primaries would return ownership of the process to party members, rather than a select group of delegates.
Drawing a comparison with the United States presidential system, it maintained that broader participation in primaries enhances internal party democracy.
The Presidency rejected claims that the National Assembly ignored public opinion in the amendment process, asserting that lawmakers engaged stakeholders, technical experts and members of the public over a two-year period before passing the bill.
Responding to allegations that the administration intends to entrench a one-party state, the statement described such assertions as baseless, noting that Nigeria remains a multiparty democracy with over a dozen registered political parties.
It recalled that President Tinubu himself emerged from the opposition to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, arguing that his democratic credentials are well established.
The Presidency concluded that the amended Electoral Act represents an improvement over the repealed law, closing what it termed exploitable loopholes and strengthening the integrity of the electoral process.
It urged opposition parties to focus on internal organisation rather than what it described as persistent complaints against reforms enacted by the legislature.
