A former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje, has accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of undermining the will of Nigerians by swiftly assenting to the amended Electoral Act.
Bugaje, who chairs the Movement for Credible Elections, alleged that the executive and lawmakers acted in concert to design an electoral framework that could facilitate manipulation of the voting process. Speaking on Sunday Politics, he described the speed of the President’s assent as evidence of complicity in what he termed a subversion of the electoral system.
“The executive arm, including the President himself, from the speed with which he signed that law, they are all accomplices in subverting the electoral process of this country,” Bugaje said, warning that such actions could attract serious consequences. He added that experiences from other countries show that undermining electoral integrity often leads to far-reaching repercussions.
The former lawmaker further accused political leaders of being “obsessed with power” and of focusing on the control of state resources. According to him, Nigerians would not take lightly any attempt to erode democratic gains.
Bugaje also faulted the National Assembly for passing the amended bill without explicitly providing for real-time electronic transmission of results, describing the move as an insult to the intelligence of citizens. He cautioned against what he called “cosmetic” electoral reforms that fail to address fundamental transparency concerns.
On the just-concluded elections in the Federal Capital Territory, he said public confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains weak, arguing that the conduct of the exercise did little to reassure voters of improvements in the system.
President Tinubu last Wednesday signed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law at the State House, a day after its passage by the National Assembly. The signing ceremony was attended by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other top officials.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu said democracy thrives on robust debate and careful management of electoral processes to prevent confusion and disenfranchisement. He emphasised the need to guard against technical glitches, interference and hacking risks in debates surrounding the electronic transmission of results.
“No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” the President stated.
