The All Progressives Congress has accused opposition leaders of opposing the amended 2026 Electoral Act because it disrupts what it described as a strategy to challenge the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said some opposition figures had hoped to use the issue of real-time electronic transmission of results as grounds to invalidate future elections.
“So, let me tell you very quickly why Peter Obi, Galadima and his friends in the opposition are livid about this amendment,” Morka said. “They were hoping to sell this dummy to the National Assembly and to Nigerians: that unless results are transmitted in real time, that becomes grounds to invalidate the election in 2027. That was it – it was a game plan.”
Morka argued that opposition leaders were aware that internet connectivity remains uneven in parts of the country, making mandatory real-time transmission impractical in all polling units.
“Buba Galadima knows, Atiku Abubakar knows, Peter Obi knows, and David Mark knows that connectivity is not universal in all the territories and voting districts of Nigeria,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law on Thursday, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties.
Leaders of the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party rejected the new law at a joint press conference in Abuja, describing it as anti-democratic and tilted in favour of the ruling party ahead of 2027. Among those who spoke were Atiku, Obi and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The opposition demanded that the National Assembly immediately begin a fresh amendment process to review the Act.
However, the Senate dismissed the call, urging opposition figures to pursue any grievances through the established legislative process. The upper chamber advised them to formally channel their concerns within the framework of the National Assembly rather than resort to public agitation.
The disagreement marks an early flashpoint in the political build-up to the 2027 general elections.
