Senate Reacts to Opposition Leaders’ Rejection Of Electoral Act

The Nigerian Senate has rejected renewed demands from opposition leaders to further amend the Electoral Act 2026, maintaining that any grievances must be addressed through the proper legislative channels within the National Assembly.

This development followed a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday by leaders of opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

They asked the lawmakers to urgently review the newly signed Electoral Act, describing parts of it as unfair and tilted ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Electoral Act 2026 was recently passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on February 18. The new law limits political parties to direct primaries and consensus in choosing candidates. Under the previous 2022 Act, parties could adopt direct primaries, indirect primaries through delegates, or consensus.

The new law also shortens campaign periods and timelines for party primaries. In addition, funding for the Independent National Electoral Commission will now be released six months before an election instead of 12 months as provided in the previous law.

Reacting, Senate spokesman Senator Yemi Adaramodu advised the opposition to channel their complaints through their representatives in the National Assembly instead of making public demands. He said any proposal for amendment must be formally presented to lawmakers for consideration.

“Electoral Act again? Do you abort a pregnancy after the naming ceremony? But no problem. If they (opposition leaders) have any grey areas, they can just make their personal proposals to their legislators, and they will bring them.

“Once they bring it to the National Assembly, we will look at it,” he said.

Also speaking, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu stated that the power to amend the Electoral Act rests solely with the National Assembly. He cautioned political actors against statements that could raise tension in the country and urged them to prepare for the 2027 elections if they are dissatisfied with the current administration.

“The opposition should stop heating up the polity. The route they are taking is not the right one. 

They should leave this route because it can only lead to chaos.

“If they are not comfortable with the current administration, they should change it by contesting against Mr. President in 2027 and see if they can defeat him. In the meantime, they should stop heating up the polity,” he added.