Atiku Abubakar Urges Electoral Act Amendments for Integrity

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the Electoral Act, warning that certain controversial provisions could enable ballot manipulation and erode public trust in elections. In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku criticized Section 63 of the law, which allows returning officers to count ballot papers without official marks, arguing that this discretion could lead to abuse and distort the will of voters.

He emphasized that ballot papers are legal instruments and should not be subject to ambiguous interpretations. Atiku described the current provisions as a direct threat to electoral credibility and urged lawmakers to exercise caution in safeguarding the electoral framework.

He also called for the Independent National Electoral Commission to strengthen its operational guidelines to eliminate situations where personal judgment could override objective criteria. In response, President Bola Tinubu stated that all legislative actions would undergo thorough scrutiny, emphasizing the importance of maintaining electoral integrity.