The Presidency has accused the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party of spreading misinformation about the Electoral Act 2026, insisting that the new law strengthens, rather than weakens, Nigeria’s democracy.
The opposition parties had on Thursday described the amended legislation as obnoxious and a threat to democratic governance, alleging that it was designed to entrench a one-party state.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act amendment bill into law on February 18 after its passage by the National Assembly.
Among the key provisions of the law are the electronic transmission of election results, with manual collation permitted where technological failures occur. The Act also mandates political parties to nominate candidates through direct primaries or consensus.
Reacting in a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged the ADC and NNPP to desist from what he described as constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage against the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
He accused the opposition, particularly the ADC, of issuing irresponsible statements to attract headlines and mislead the public. According to him, the new Electoral Act represents a significant improvement on the repealed law and closes loopholes that could have been exploited for manipulation.
Onanuga also dismissed claims that retaining Form EC8A as a fallback option creates room for electoral malpractice. He argued that network challenges remain a reality in parts of the country, making backup procedures necessary.
Addressing concerns about the Independent National Electoral Commission results viewing portal, he clarified that the IReV platform is only for uploading and public viewing of results and not a collation centre.
He stressed that Form EC8 remains the primary legal document for validating election outcomes.
The presidential aide further defended the adoption of direct primaries and consensus, describing them as more democratic than the delegate-based system previously used by many parties.
He maintained that the amendment followed two years of consultations with lawmakers, stakeholders, technical experts and citizens, adding that allegations of a plot to establish a one-party state were unfounded.
According to him, Nigeria still has more than a dozen registered political parties, and the opposition’s difficulties stem from internal disorganisation rather than any attempt by the government to stifle dissent.
