By Our Reporter
The Presidency on Thursday faulted opposition parties over what it described as “constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage” against the Electoral Act and the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a State House press release signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the government accused prominent opposition figures, particularly from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), of making “reckless and spurious allegations” against the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The statement followed a press conference in Abuja by opposition leaders who criticised recent amendments to the Electoral Act. According to the Presidency, the opposition has engaged in a “relentless war of disinformation” against the National Assembly and the federal government in a bid to mislead Nigerians.
Defending the amended Electoral Act, the Presidency said the law provides for real-time transmission of election results while allowing the use of Form EC8A as a backup in the event of network failure. It dismissed claims that the use of Form EC8A creates loopholes for manipulation, describing such concerns as “illogical.”
The statement noted that network glitches are a practical reality and argued that the 2026 Electoral Act does not prohibit electronic transmission of results. Instead, it stipulates that where electronic transmission fails, results recorded on Form EC8A would remain valid.
The Presidency also clarified the role of the IReV portal, explaining that it is not a collation centre but a platform for uploading results for public viewing. It maintained that Form EC8 remains the primary legal source for validating election outcomes.
On the issue of direct primaries, the government criticised opposition parties for rejecting the method of candidate selection. It described the opposition’s stance as perplexing, arguing that direct primaries and consensus voting strengthen internal party democracy and eliminate what it called the “corrupt delegate system.”
The statement further rejected claims that the National Assembly ignored public input in passing the amendments, citing consultations with stakeholders, experts, and citizens over a two-year period.
Responding to allegations that President Tinubu seeks to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, the Presidency described the claim as baseless, insisting that Nigeria remains a vibrant multiparty democracy with more than a dozen registered political parties.
It added that the new Electoral Act represents a significant improvement on the repealed law, closing loopholes that could be exploited for manipulation.
The Presidency urged opposition parties to focus on internal reforms rather than “blaming others for their own disorganisation,” maintaining that the amended law strengthens Nigeria’s electoral framework.