African Democratic Congress (ADC), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and others political parties leaders have urged Nigerian National Assembly to immediately reopen the process of amending the Electoral Act, warning that recent changes could undermine electoral credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on behalf of other opposition leaders at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, NNPP National Chairman Ajuji Ahmed, criticised the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing some of its provisions as anti-democratic and potentially harmful to transparent elections.
In attendance at the briefing were National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark; NNPP chieftain, Buba Galadima; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Equally present at the Lagos/Osun Hall of Transcorp, Abuja, were ADC National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola; former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; Senator Ireti Kingibe, and the party’s National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, alongside other party stakeholders.
Former Senator Dino Melaye, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, and former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke; were among other several political actors who lent their voices to the call for electoral reforms.
Ahmed faulted the law’s restriction of candidate nomination methods to only direct primaries and consensus arrangements, arguing that removing indirect primaries infringes on the constitutional autonomy of political parties.
He said: “We call on the National Assembly of Nigeria to immediately begin a fresh amendment of the Electoral Act 2026, removing all contentious provisions and ensuring the law reflects the genuine aspirations of Nigerians for elections that are free, fair, transparent, and credible. Nothing less will meet the expectations of the Nigerian people.
“Available data on telecommunications coverage and previous electoral technology performance contradict claims that network limitations justify such provisions.”
He insisted that parties should retain the freedom to determine their internal selection processes without legislative interference.
The NNPP chairman also raised concerns about the Act’s failure to guarantee real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units, warning that the manual option granted to presiding officers under Section 60(3) could weaken transparency and open room for manipulation.
He maintained that the amendments appear designed to tilt the political playing field and called on lawmakers to remove what he termed “obnoxious provisions” in the interest of free and fair elections.
The opposition leaders further criticised shortened campaign timelines and the reduction of advance funding for the electoral body, saying these measures could strain preparation for credible elections in Nigeria.