The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of undermining Nigeria’s democracy following his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the speed with which the bill was passed and signed into law raised concerns about the integrity of future elections.
The president approved the amendments on Wednesday, 18 February, describing the move as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic framework.
However, the ADC said the changes failed to inspire confidence in the electoral process and instead introduced what it described as ambiguity in the collation and transmission of results.
“At a time when Nigerians across generations and political affiliations are calling for stronger accountability and the full modernisation of our electoral system, it is sad to see amendments that do not improve citizens’ confidence,” the statement read.
The party questioned why a government that it said controls more than 30 state governments and holds a majority in the National Assembly would expedite changes to the electoral framework.
“It raises the unavoidable question of why a politically dominant government would rush amendments unless it harbours doubts about submitting itself to a truly transparent and competitive process,” the ADC said.
The party also expressed concern about the implications of the amendment for upcoming elections, warning that the absence of what it termed “firm guarantees of electronic transparency” could heighten tensions.
It suggested that citizens might feel compelled to safeguard their votes physically if there were discrepancies between polling unit results and those collated at higher levels — a situation it said had been witnessed in previous elections.
The ADC said it would mobilise Nigerians to defend the country’s democracy through “constitutional and lawful means”, adding that it remained committed to what it described as the sanctity of the electoral process.
“We are ready, willing and prepared to defend the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy using every constitutional and lawful means available to us,” the statement added.
There has been no immediate response from the presidency or the ruling party to the ADC’s claims.
