Opposition Giants Unite to Demand Fresh Electoral Laws, Slamming Tinubu’s New Act as a ‘Backdoor for Rigging’

The ink is barely dry on President Bola Tinubu’s signature, but Nigeria’s major opposition parties are already demanding a total “do-over” of the 2026 Electoral Act. In a rare display of unity on Thursday, February 26, the leadership of the PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP called on the National Assembly to immediately open a fresh window for amendments, arguing that the law signed last week is a “ticking time bomb” for the 2027 elections.

The controversy centers on what critics call the “Manual Backup Trap.” While the newly minted Act recognizes electronic transmission, it allows for manual collation to take precedence if technology fails a loophole the opposition claims will be exploited to bypass the IReV portal. “To pass a law in 2026 that still protects manual collation is to invite the ghosts of elections past,” a PDP spokesperson remarked. “We aren’t asking for ‘flexibility’; we are demanding a tamper-proof digital lock on our democracy.”

The National Assembly has become a theater of war over the issue. Just days ago, opposition lawmakers staged a dramatic walkout after being outvoted on the “Real-Time” clause, which would have made the immediate upload of results from polling units compulsory. Outside the gates, civil society groups have declared a “democratic emergency,” warning that the current law undermines the hard-won trust of the Nigerian voter.

However, the ruling APC and Senate leadership remain unmoved. Senate President Godswill Akpabio maintains that the 2026 Act is a “landmark achievement” that balances technological progress with the reality of Nigeria’s uneven internet coverage. He pointed to the “Ramadan Clause”, which allows INEC to move election dates to accommodate the holy month as proof that the law is sensitive to the needs of all Nigerians.

As the 2027 countdown begins, the “State of Harmony” in the hallowed chambers is non-existent. With the opposition now threatening a nationwide “pro-transparency” campaign, the National Assembly is under immense pressure to decide: is the 2026 Act the final word, or just a rough draft for a battle yet to come?