The Presidency has hit back at opposition parties over criticisms of the newly amended Electoral Act 2026, accusing them of spreading misinformation and raising unnecessary alarm.
The response follows concerns raised by leaders of the ADC and NNPP over key provisions of the law.
Just hours after opposition parties rejected the 2026 amendment, the Presidency is pushing back strongly.
In a statement released from the State House, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the opposition’s claims as “reckless” and “misleading.”
According to the Presidency, the new Electoral Act does not weaken the electoral process, but rather strengthens it.
At the centre of the disagreement is the issue of electronic transmission of results.
The opposition argues that allowing Form EC8A as a backup could open the door to manipulation.
But the Presidency insists that position is flawed.
It says real-time transmission of results remains in place; while the use of physical result sheets is only a safeguard in cases of network failure.
The statement also clarified that the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, is not a collation platform, but simply a transparency tool for public access to results.
Another major point of contention is the adoption of direct primaries and consensus for selecting party candidates.
The Presidency questioned why opposition parties are resisting the move, arguing that it gives more power to party members and reduces the influence of delegate-based systems.
It also rejected claims that the National Assembly ignored public opinion, stating that the amendment followed extensive consultations with stakeholders over a two-year period.
On fears that Nigeria may be drifting towards a one-party state, the Presidency described the claim as baseless, insisting the country remains a multi-party democracy.
With both sides holding firm, the debate over the Electoral Act is far from over and could shape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
