Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, of laying the groundwork to manipulate the 2027 general elections by delaying amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
In a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Atiku said flaws in the current Electoral Act contributed significantly to the problems that trailed the 2023 elections, making it difficult for candidates to challenge results in court.
“A major setback to the 2023 elections was the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022, which paved the way for widespread rigging and made it almost impossible for petitioners to successfully prosecute their cases,” he wrote.
According to Atiku, correcting the errors of 2023 requires an urgent review of the legal framework guiding elections before 2027. However, he alleged that the Senate has shown little commitment to passing the necessary amendments.
A
“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act,” Atiku stated.
He also referenced a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), describing it as an indictment of the Senate and a reminder of its responsibility to act in the public interest.
“The credibility of the 2027 general elections depends on how urgently the Senate treats this bill,” he said, adding that failure to amend the law ahead of the polls would amount to a calculated move to compromise the process.
“Anything short of ensuring that the amended law governs the 2027 elections is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before ballots are cast,” Atiku concluded.