This post has already been read at least 113 times!
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has raised serious concerns over the recently adopted 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, warning that its controversial provisions could plunge the country into electoral chaos ahead of the 2027 general elections. The umbrella body of political parties has consequently called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold assent to the bill, citing critical legal, security, and democratic risks embedded in the proposed law.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP disclosed that it had conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders across the political spectrum, including civil society organisations, election observers, grassroots political actors, and constitutional experts before arriving at its position.
The group specifically expressed apprehension over what it described as the “reintroduction of incident form-style procedures” in election result collation, warning that the provision could undermine recent technological gains recorded in Nigeria’s electoral system.
“The CNPP has carefully reviewed the adopted version of the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill… After extensive consultations with critical stakeholders across the political spectrum… the CNPP expresses deep concern over certain controversial provisions introduced into the amendment, particularly the clause that effectively reintroduces the use of incident forms in the collation of election results under the guise of addressing potential network failures,” the statement read.
The political coalition explained that the amendment empowers polling unit officials to rely primarily on Form EC8A for result collation in instances where electronic transmission of results is deemed impossible due to network failure. While acknowledging the reality of technological limitations in some remote areas, the CNPP insisted that the provision lacks the transparency and verification safeguards necessary to protect electoral integrity.
“The amendment… fails to establish a transparent, objective, and verifiable framework for determining when a network failure has genuinely occurred,” the CNPP warned, stressing that the absence of a clear verification mechanism creates room for electoral manipulation.
The organisation further argued that leaving the determination of network failure at the discretion of individual polling unit officials presents what it described as a “dangerous loophole” capable of being exploited by compromised electoral officers or political actors.
“The failure to define an acceptable standard or process for confirming network failure creates a dangerous loophole that could be exploited by compromised electoral officials or political actors seeking to manipulate election outcomes,” the CNPP stated, adding that electoral transparency must be based on “measurable, auditable, and tamper-proof procedures.”
The group also raised security concerns, warning that the ambiguous provision could expose officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to public hostility.
According to the CNPP, voters in many communities can easily verify network availability using personal mobile devices, making it potentially dangerous if officials claim network failure contrary to what voters observe.
“In many communities across Nigeria today, network availability is easily verifiable by ordinary citizens using mobile devices. Where youths and voters can demonstrably access network services on their personal devices, yet a Presiding Officer claims otherwise to justify manual result collation, such contradictions could trigger distrust, confrontation, and possible breakdown of law and order,” the statement noted.
The CNPP warned that the National Assembly, comprising the Senate of Nigeria and the House of Representatives of Nigeria, may have inadvertently exposed electoral officials to avoidable danger through the controversial clause.
“By failing to provide a credible verification system, the National Assembly has inadvertently exposed officials of INEC to avoidable danger. Electoral officials may become targets of public suspicion and hostility, thereby jeopardising not only the integrity of the electoral process but also the personal safety of those tasked with conducting elections,” the CNPP stressed.
The political body further cautioned that the amendment could reverse Nigeria’s progress in electoral reforms, noting that electronic transmission of results and digital accreditation systems had significantly reduced incidents of result manipulation.
“Nigeria has made incremental progress in strengthening electoral transparency through the introduction of electronic transmission of results and digital accreditation systems… The proposed amendment, if allowed to stand in its present form, risks reversing these gains by reopening the floodgates for electoral manipulation through manual processes that lack adequate oversight,” the group warned.
Highlighting the potential consequences of passing the bill in its current form, the CNPP predicted that legal ambiguities within the law could trigger post-election disputes and threaten democratic stability in Nigeria.
“With the nation approaching another critical electoral cycle, legal ambiguities capable of generating widespread disputes must be avoided. The current amendment risks fueling post-election litigations, public protests, and erosion of voter confidence, all of which could threaten national democratic stability,” the statement added.
The CNPP therefore urged President Tinubu to exercise what it described as statesmanlike leadership by declining assent to the bill and returning it to lawmakers for legislative review.
“As a leader who has consistently identified himself as a committed democrat and beneficiary of progressive electoral reforms, President Tinubu is urged to view this moment as a historic opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions rather than allow legislative ambiguities that could undermine electoral credibility,” the organisation said.
The coalition recommended the introduction of an independent real-time network verification system integrated with national telecommunications infrastructure to objectively determine network availability at polling units. It also called for mandatory multi-layer authentication and timestamp verification before any manual collation process can be activated.
Other proposals by the CNPP include the introduction of accountability measures and sanctions for officials found to have falsely declared network failure, as well as provision for third-party monitoring of network status accessible to political parties, observers, and civil society groups.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, the CNPP maintained that electoral laws must close loopholes rather than create fresh vulnerabilities.
“Nigeria stands at a defining moment in consolidating democratic governance. The CNPP strongly believes that withholding assent to the flawed amendment and encouraging legislative correction represents the true path of honour, statesmanship, and national interest,” the statement concluded.
This post has already been read at least 113 times!
About the Author
