The Presidency on Thursday rejected claims by opposition parties that President Bola Tinubu was undermining democracy through the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, describing the accusations as “reckless” and “spurious.”
In a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) of spreading disinformation in collaboration with some civil society groups.
“Some prominent opposition figures… made reckless, spurious allegations against President Bola Tinubu and the APC-led Federal Government,” the statement read.
The opposition had urged the National Assembly to amend the law, citing objectionable provisions. Under the new Act, parties are restricted to direct primaries and consensus options, campaign timelines are shortened, and funding for INEC must be released six months before elections instead of 12.
Responding to concerns over result transmission, the Presidency clarified that the law allows real-time transmission of results, with Form EC8A serving as backup in case of network failure.
“The 2026 Electoral Act does not prohibit real-time transmission; it simply stipulates that if transmission fails, the result recorded on Form EC8A shall be deemed valid,” it said.
Onanuga dismissed opposition fears of manipulation, insisting that the reforms close loopholes previously exploited. He also defended the adoption of direct primaries, likening it to practices in the United States.
“No aspirant should fear participation by party members in the primaries,” the statement added.
The Presidency further rejected claims that Tinubu seeks a one-party state, stressing that Nigeria remains a vibrant multiparty democracy.
“President Tinubu is a democrat—an opposition leader who, alongside like-minded individuals, led the charge to defeat the PDP in 2015,” it noted.
It concluded that opposition parties were “crying foul because the rules of the game have been adjusted to prevent manipulation, such as result hacking.”
