…at the heart of the controversy surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment is Section 63.
Abuja, Nigeria — The iNews Times reports that the ongoing debate over the Electoral Act Amendment has intensified after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on the National Assembly to urgently revisit a contentious provision he says could undermine electoral credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku faulted Section 63 of the amended law, warning that it opens a dangerous window for ballot manipulation if left uncorrected.
At the heart of the controversy surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment is Section 63, which permits a ballot paper without an official mark to be counted at the discretion of a returning officer.
According to Atiku, such discretion threatens the sanctity of the ballot and introduces subjectivity into a process that should be strictly guided by verifiable standards.
“The leadership of the National Assembly should have been more cautious than casual in handling provisions that touch the very heart of our democracy,” he said.
“A ballot paper is not an ordinary piece of paper, it is a legal instrument whose authenticity is central to the credibility of the entire electoral process. This is not a minor technical issue; it is a direct threat to electoral integrity.”
The former vice president, who is now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), argued that lawmakers failed to sufficiently safeguard the ballot when passing the Electoral Act Amendment.
He stressed that democracy cannot survive ambiguity, especially when it concerns the validity of votes cast by millions of Nigerians.
“A democracy cannot survive on ambiguity. A ballot must either meet the standard or it does not. The moment you leave such a critical decision to subjective judgment, you invite manipulation, dispute, and ultimately chaos,” he stated.
Atiku further noted that the controversial clause was not entirely new but was retained from previous electoral frameworks without what he described as “sufficient safeguards.”
The renewed debate over the Electoral Act Amendment comes at a politically sensitive moment.
On February 18, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The signing ceremony, which took place around 5:00 pm, was attended by principal officers of the National Assembly.
The development came just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections a schedule that has already triggered early political realignments and coalition talks.
Observers say the proximity between the law’s signing and the election timetable has heightened scrutiny of the Electoral Act Amendment, particularly its provisions governing ballot validation and result collation.
Beyond urging lawmakers to amend the law, Atiku called on INEC to tighten its operational guidelines to prevent scenarios where personal judgment could override objective standards.
He argued that electoral officers should not be placed in positions where discretionary interpretation determines the fate of votes.
“The world is watching. Nigeria must not send a signal that its electoral system can be bent by interpretation,” he warned.
Atiku also urged election observers, international democratic partners, and civil society organizations to monitor Nigeria’s electoral legal framework closely, insisting that the credibility of future elections depends as much on the law as on the process itself.
In his remarks, Atiku further suggested that President Tinubu bears a constitutional responsibility to subject critical legislation to rigorous scrutiny before granting assent.
“Leadership demands vigilance. The document he assented to ought to have passed the most stringent integrity test,” he added.
While the presidency has not responded publicly to Atiku’s criticism, legal analysts note that amending an electoral law so close to a major election cycle could have far-reaching implications for political stability and public trust.
The Electoral Act Amendment is central to Nigeria’s democratic future. Electoral laws define the standards for voter accreditation, ballot authentication, result collation, dispute resolution, and technological integration such as BVAS and electronic transmission.
Even minor ambiguities in such legislation can trigger post-election litigation, undermine public confidence, and fuel allegations of electoral manipulation.
Political observers say Atiku’s intervention reflects broader concerns among opposition parties about safeguarding the integrity of the 2027 polls.
As Nigeria prepares for another high-stakes electoral cycle, debates over the Electoral Act Amendment are likely to dominate political discourse in the coming months.
For millions of Nigerians, however, the ultimate question remains unchanged: Will the rules of the game protect the will of the people?
The iNews Times will continue to monitor developments surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment and provide timely updates as stakeholders weigh potential legislative reviews.
