Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised the Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, over what he described as deliberate delays in passing amendments to the Electoral Act aimed at curbing electoral fraud ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku’s reaction followed a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which revealed that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill—designed to stiffen penalties for vote-rigging, regulate election financing, and address other electoral malpractices—may not be passed in time for the next polls. According to the report, the bill has already completed committee consideration but remains stalled at the Senate plenary.
FIJ noted that although the bill appeared on the Senate’s Order Paper on December 3, 2025, it was skipped during plenary proceedings. The committee report was reportedly ready and awaiting consideration, yet no progress has been made for about a month.
Reacting via his official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Atiku accused the Senate of intentionally frustrating efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022, which he said contained loopholes that undermined the integrity of the 2023 elections.
“A major setback to the 2023 elections is the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for the brazen rigging of that election, and the near-impossibility of petitioners to advance their cases in the courts,” Atiku wrote.
He stressed that meaningful reforms must be concluded well ahead of 2027 to avoid a repeat of past controversies. “It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed,” he said.
The former presidential candidate further alleged that the upper chamber of the National Assembly was deliberately dragging its feet. “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.
Describing the FIJ report as a wake-up call, Atiku said, “The recent report by FIJ serves as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely call for legislative responsibility. The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.”
He warned that failure to act promptly could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s democracy. “It is, therefore, imperative that the Senate finalises the amendments and ensures the updated law governs the conduct of the 2027 elections,” Atiku added, cautioning that “anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast.”
