.Says APC’s fear of defeat now obvious
CYRIL MBAH, Abuja
President Tinubu on Wednesday signed the amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act into law, saying he had followed the debate on the document at the National Assembly closely.
He commended its leadership for managing the process very well, “to the extent there has been no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and that we are all going to see democracy flourish.”
According to the President, “the essence of democracy is to have very solid brainstorming discussions committed to national development, nation-building, and the stability of the nation.
“It is time that we have confidence in our system. No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the people finalise the results.”
Speaking on the ‘controversy’ preceding its passage, President Tinubu affirmed that humans still have a significant role to play in finalising results, as computers can’t do everything, given that many aspects of the voting process are still largely manual.
“And when you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically sound are we today? How technically sound will we be tomorrow in answering the call, whether in real time or not?
“And as long as you appear personally as a manual voter in any polling booth, a ballot paper is given to you manually. You decide in a corner and fingerprint the person you choose. You cast your vote without hindrance or interference.
“Ballots are subsequently counted manually. It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is entered into it from easy thinking. It is still manual, essentially.
“The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at. And we need to avoid glitches, interference, and unnecessary hacking in this age of computer inquisitiveness. Nigeria will be there,” he said.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described today (Wednesday) as a truly significant day, with the two major religions commencing their fasting seasons.
He said the two chambers worked tirelessly on it for two years “to make sure that we met the right time, so that INEC can do the necessary procurements and bring out the right timetable for next year’s election.
“We have also ensured that we provided a lot of clauses in the amendment that will enable you to conduct free and fair elections in Nigeria that will be acceptable to the international community and all Nigerians, that will meet the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians as democrats.
He acknowledged that, though some members disagreed with the decision on the Bill, it was the beauty of democracy.
“At the end, we all came together, and this is the final product. As soon as you sign this, you will have made history as the first president to introduce electronic transmission of results from the polling units to the entire world.
“We have the IReV now, which is a portal for viewing. It allows you to see what is happening across all polling units. Even if you don’t have a network, shortly after that, if you take it to a networked location, it will sync, and people will still have the opportunity to view.
“So, we have made all the necessary inclusions to ensure that Nigerians are going to be happy, the international community will be happy, and it will make the elections also easy for INEC to do,” the Senate President said.
He commended Nigerians of all walks of life for their interest, cooperation, support, and prayers towards meeting their yearnings.
Also present at the signing ceremony were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, some principal officers of the National Assembly, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Sen. Basheer Lado.
However, The Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the rushed signing of the contentious Electoral Act as amended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite protests from concerned Nigerians over sections of the document that may allegedly favour the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Comrade Ini Ememobong Essien, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP said in a statement issued on Wednesday night that the “hurried grant of a presidential assent to the contentious bill as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, despite the widespread opposition by Nigerians, is a confirmation of the fact that this was a well choreographed drama by the APC.
“The party’s fear of the inevitable defeat from a free and fair election is palpable and they are unable to conceal it again. This is indeed a sad day for democracy. The Nigerian people have been dealt a bad card, which existentially threatens democracy.
“The President has shown his inability to rise above partisanship in the art of governance,” the short statement concluded.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the National Assembly’s amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, describing it as a “treacherous betrayal” of Nigerians.
The PDP said the Senate and House of Representatives’ decision to dilute the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from polling units translated into a blow to democracy and electoral sanctity.
The party expressed disappointment with the lawmakers, saying they have shown disdain for the Nigerian people who voted them into office.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong Essien, the PDP described the excuses given for the amendment as “weak, illogical, and insulting to the’ intelligence of Nigerians,” adding that it is a clear attempt to create room for electoral manipulation.
The party accused the National Assembly of violating the foundation of legislative representation, which is anchored on mirroring the wishes of the majority of their constituents.
Also, the PDP condemned the restriction of party primaries to Direct and Consensus methods, saying it is a blatant intrusion into the internal affairs of political parties.
The party questioned the ruling party’s support for the amendment, describing it as a sign of fear of impending defeat in a free and fair election.
The PDP urged Nigerians, labour unions, and Civil Society Organisations to express their displeasure over the National Assembly’s actions and call for immediate reconsideration.
The party emphasised that democracy must not be allowed to decline due to retrogressive politicians masquerading as legislators.
The PDP vowed to continue fighting for proper electoral reform and transparency, warning that Nigerians will hold the lawmakers accountable for their actions.
Earlier , a former Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has called on President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent on the recently passed Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, describing it as “a recipe for chaos” that could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
Igini made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television following the Senate’s passage of the bill, which included contentious provisions under Clause 60 on electronic transmission of results.
“It is indeed my humble recommendation to Mr President that you are a man of history. You were a senior man to very many of us in the struggle at the time when the journey of Nigeria and the prospect of democracy was less certain,” he said.
He further reminded the president of the 2015 struggle to ensure elections reflect the people’s will.
“And also remember that, at a time when the PDP was in office and when we were in office, and they were saying that there was going to be a federal might, some of us stood out to say no.
“In 2015, it’s going to be the might of people, not federal might, but the might of the people through the ballot that should determine what will happen.
“You should be a man of history, what is put before you take it back, don’t sign it,” Igini said.
The Senate had on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 after tense deliberations.
The session saw opposition from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who demanded a division on Clause 60(3), proposing that manual forms should not serve as a fallback if electronic transmission fails. After a vote, 55 senators supported the proviso while 15 opposed it.
Turning to the judiciary, Igini warned that courts have historically failed to protect voters and uphold democracy.
“The greatest option that we have is the judiciary that must stand tall and mighty in defence of democracy and the rule of law. Were it not for the judiciary, we would not be where we are today,” he said.
He also stressed past failures, saying, “I have all the records of failures. When it comes to elections, the judiciary has not done well. In fact, the Nigerian people now see my constituency as a veritable conspiracy against them because they have never given effect to it.”
Igini also criticised the Senate’s handling of the bill, citing the reversal of Clause 60 provisions that originally mandated real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results.
“Look at what has happened…Today, no primary in Nigeria because Supreme Court struck down the party direction that was issued in line with Section 29 of the Act,” he said.
Igini had earlier warned in a Sunday statement that many National Assembly members risk losing their seats if mandatory real-time electronic transmission is not guaranteed.
He stressed that for democracy to thrive, the judiciary must enforce due process and protect voters’ rights: “The way forward is for the judiciary to stand tall and mighty in defence of due process because what we are seeing now is not what is expected.”
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