Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Senate for allegedly obstructing efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022, warning that delays could jeopardise the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement shared on his X handle on Thursday, January 22, Atiku said the current law contains loopholes that hindered justice during the 2023 elections.
“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,” he said.
He stressed the need for urgent legislative action to prevent a repeat of these problems in future polls.
“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,” Atiku added.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate accused the Senate of intentionally frustrating the passage of proposed amendments.
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“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act,” he said.
Atiku warned that failure to finalise the amendments ahead of 2027 would amount to a deliberate attempt to compromise the electoral process.
“The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.
“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,” he stated.
The Electoral Act 2022, signed into law in February 2022, currently regulates Nigeria’s elections.
The National Assembly is reviewing an Electoral Act Amendment Bill to address flaws exposed during the 2023 polls ahead of the 2027 elections.