The Presidency has dismissed allegations by opposition parties challenging recent amendments to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, describing the criticisms as baseless and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) of spreading misinformation and attempting to mislead the public over the revised electoral framework.
Opposition leaders had earlier gathered in Abuja where they criticised President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, alleging that provisions in the amended law could create loopholes for electoral manipulation.
However, the Presidency rejected the claims, insisting that the new law strengthens the electoral process. According to the statement, the amendment allows for real-time transmission of election results while recognising Form EC8A as a valid backup in cases of network failure.
The government argued that concerns over Form EC8A are unfounded, noting that network disruptions remain a practical challenge during elections. It maintained that the law does not eliminate electronic transmission but provides safeguards to prevent the invalidation of results due to technical glitches.
Clarifying the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), the statement emphasised that the platform is designed for public viewing of uploaded results and not as a collation centre. It added that Form EC8 remains the primary legal document for validating election outcomes.
The Presidency also defended the reintroduction of direct primaries and consensus options for selecting party candidates, criticising opposition parties for opposing the removal of delegate-based primaries. It described the delegate system as prone to abuse and argued that direct primaries would return decision-making power to party members.
Addressing claims that the National Assembly ignored public input, the government said lawmakers consulted widely with stakeholders and technical experts over two years before passing the amendments. It added that the revisions were informed by concerns about potential technical failures that could undermine electoral credibility.
