The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Senate leadership over recent remarks by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, concerning the amended Electoral Act, describing the comments as evidence that the legislation was designed to favour the ruling party.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the Senate President’s dismissal of opposition concerns about the 2026 Electoral Act exposed what it described as the “subterfuge” behind the amendment process.
Akpabio had reportedly argued that opposition complaints about the amended law were proof that the National Assembly had enacted the right legislation. However, the ADC said such reasoning suggested that the amendment was crafted primarily to please the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President.
According to Abdullahi, laws should be amended to advance national aspirations and promote the collective interest of citizens, not to lower ethical standards in society.
He specifically criticised provisions in Section 138 of the 2026 Electoral Act which, he alleged, prevent elections from being challenged on the grounds of certificate forgery.
Abdullahi said the provision contradicts sections 66, 107, 137 and 182 of the Nigerian Constitution, which disqualify anyone who submits a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from holding public office.
The ADC spokesman warned that such legislation could send a damaging signal to Nigerians, particularly young people, by suggesting that certificate forgery no longer carries serious consequences.
He further accused lawmakers of passing legislation that appears to shield dishonesty rather than punish it, arguing that such actions weaken democratic institutions and harm Nigeria’s reputation internationally.
Abdullahi also criticised the current National Assembly, describing it as a compromised legislature whose legacy, he said, would be tied to passing laws that lower the country’s ethical standards for political convenience.
Despite the disagreement, he said the ADC remained focused on building what he described as a credible political alternative capable of restoring integrity, competence and accountability to governance in Nigeria.
He added that history would ultimately judge those who defended democratic integrity and those who, in his view, weakened it.
