Atiku raises alarm over electoral act provision, demands urgent amendment

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that a provision in Nigeria’s Electoral Act poses a serious threat to the credibility of future elections, urging the National Assembly to urgently amend what he described as a “dangerous ambiguity” in the law.

In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku specifically faulted Section 63 of the Electoral Act, which allows ballot papers without official markings to be validated at the discretion of a returning officer.

He argued that the clause creates room for subjective interpretation, which could be exploited to manipulate election results and undermine public trust in the democratic process.

According to him, “This is not a minor technical issue it is a direct threat to electoral integrity,” adding that democracy cannot thrive where critical decisions on votes are left to personal judgment.

Atiku maintained that while the provision may have been introduced to avoid voter disenfranchisement, its current wording remains too vague and open-ended, warning that it could “invite manipulation, dispute, and ultimately, chaos.”

He noted that the clause is not new but a “legacy loophole” that has survived successive amendments without adequate safeguards, insisting that lawmakers failed to properly close gaps in the system during recent legislative reviews.

The former Vice President called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the law to establish clear and non-negotiable standards for ballot validation, stressing that every vote must either meet defined criteria or be rejected without discretion.

He also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its operational guidelines to ensure that electoral officers are not placed in positions where personal judgment could override established rules.

Atiku further appealed to international observers and democratic partners to pay close attention to Nigeria’s electoral framework, warning that “the credibility of future elections depends as much on the law as on the process.”

He also criticised the legislature and executive for allowing the provision to remain in force, stating that both arms of government bear responsibility for ensuring the integrity of electoral laws.

Atiku concluded that correcting the loophole is essential to restoring public confidence in the electoral system, insisting that democracy must be anchored on certainty rather than discretion.

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