‎Atiku Accuses Senate Of Stalling Electoral Act Amendment, Says ‘2027 Polls At Risk’

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Nigerian Senate of deliberately frustrating efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022, warning that continued delays could seriously undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

‎In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Atiku described the existing loopholes in the Electoral Act as a major factor that undermined the integrity of the 2023 general elections. According to him, the flaws in the law enabled widespread electoral malpractice and made it extremely difficult for aggrieved candidates to successfully prosecute their cases before election tribunals and courts.

‎“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,” Atiku stated.

‎He stressed that urgent legislative intervention was necessary to prevent a repeat of the challenges experienced in the last general elections, particularly as the country prepares for the 2027 polls.

‎“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,” he added.

‎The former Vice President further alleged that the Senate was intentionally blocking the passage of proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, despite widespread calls for reform.

‎“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act,” he said.

‎Atiku warned that failure to amend the law ahead of the 2027 elections would amount to a deliberate attempt to compromise the electoral process even before voting begins.

‎“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,” he cautioned.

‎The Electoral Act 2022, which was signed into law in February 2022, currently regulates the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the National Assembly is considering an Electoral Act Amendment Bill aimed at addressing the shortcomings observed during the 2023 general elections, ahead of the 2027 polls.