Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned the Senate against what he described as undue delay in amending the Electoral Act 2022, warning that failure to act promptly could imperil the credibility of the 2027 general election.
In a post on X on Thursday, Atiku said the existing electoral framework contains serious gaps that undermined the conduct of the 2023 polls and could again be exploited if urgent corrective steps are not taken.
According to him, loopholes in the current law created room for alleged manipulation and made it difficult for aggrieved parties to effectively pursue redress through the courts.
“One of the major setbacks of the 2023 elections was the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022, which allowed brazen rigging and made it almost impossible for petitioners to successfully prosecute their cases,” Atiku said.
He urged the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, to treat the amendment of the Electoral Act as a national priority, stressing that the integrity of future elections depends largely on the strength and clarity of the legal framework guiding the process.
Atiku referenced a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which drew attention to the slow pace of legislative action on the amendments, describing the situation as troubling.
“The FIJ report exposes the Senate’s inaction and underscores the urgent need for legislative responsibility,” he said. “The Senate must conclude work on the amendments to ensure that a robust legal framework is in place for the 2027 elections. Anything short of this amounts to rigging the election even before a single vote is cast.”
The former vice president’s intervention comes amid sustained pressure from civil society groups, opposition figures and election observers for a comprehensive review of the Electoral Act 2022. Critics argue that unresolved ambiguities in the law pose a serious threat to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections if left unaddressed ahead of 2027.