Atiku Asks Senate for One Thing That Must Be Done Before 2027 Elections
- Former Vice-President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar warned that loopholes in the Electoral Act undermined the credibility of the 2027 general elections
- He accused the Senate of frustrating amendments needed to correct flaws from the 2023 polls
- He insisted that urgent legal reforms were necessary to prevent the manipulation of future elections
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FCT, Abuja - Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Senate to urgently amend the Electoral Act.
He warned that unresolved loopholes in the law could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Source: UGC
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, said flaws in the Electoral Act 2022 paved the way for what he described as widespread rigging and made it nearly impossible for petitioners to obtain justice through the courts.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, January 21, Atiku said the legal gaps significantly weakened Nigeria’s electoral process.
“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,” he wrote.
Atiku calls for review of electoral law
The former vice-president said meaningful electoral reform must begin with a comprehensive review of the law governing elections ahead of 2027, Vanguard reported.
“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,” Atiku said.
He stressed that failure to address the identified shortcomings would leave future elections vulnerable to manipulation.
Senate accused of delaying amendment process
Atiku accused the Senate of deliberately frustrating efforts to amend the Electoral Act, alleging a lack of political will to strengthen the country’s democratic framework.
“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act,” he said.
Source: Facebook
He cited a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) as further evidence of the need for legislative accountability, TheCable reported.
“The recent report by FIJ serves as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely call for legislative responsibility,” Atiku added.
Warning over credibility of 2027 elections
The former vice-president warned that the integrity of the 2027 general election would depend largely on how swiftly the Senate acts on the proposed amendments.
“The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.
“Anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast," he said.
Senate promises fast-track consideration
Meanwhile, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had, in a New Year message in January, assured Nigerians that the upper legislative chamber would fast-track the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill in 2026.
The proposed amendment is expected to address key concerns raised from the conduct of the 2023 elections, including the transmission of results and the adjudication of electoral disputes.
Analyst backs Atiku ahead of 2027
Speaking with Legit.ng on Sunday, January 25, Hamma Hayat, said:
“True, we also need change of strategy for 2027, we cannot get a different result of we do same thing we did 2027. Chief among are: United opposition; Anti rigging machinery; They should rather take us to court than we take them to court; a head for an eye.”
Atiku advised to step aside ahead of 2027
Previously, Legit.ng reported that a former special adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, called on former vice president Atiku Abubakar to abandon any plan to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The northern leader said that doing so would become the most meaningful contribution former Atiku could make to Nigeria.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
