ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENT: Credibility of 2027 elections at risk, says Atiku
*Accuses NASS of deliberately undermining next general polls
BY TOSIN ADAMS &ORIAKU IJELE
As Nigerians count down to the next general elections, Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President, has pointed accusing fingers at the National Assembly, especially the Senate of deliberately frustrating efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022, hinting that continued delays would affect the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
This was made clear in a statement he shared on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, Thursday, describing loopholes in the current Electoral Act as a major setback to the 2023 elections.
According to Atiku, such loopholes enabled widespread electoral malpractice and made it difficult for petitioners to prove their cases in court.
He said: “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.
“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.
“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act.
“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.”
