Yoruba Group Critiques N’Assembly on Electoral Law Gaps

The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, led by Akin Malaolu, has expressed strong criticism towards the National Assembly for excluding certificate forgery from the amendments to the Electoral Act of 2026. In a statement released on Wednesday, the forum pointed out that Section 138(1) of the Act only recognizes two grounds for electoral petitions: corrupt practices and non-compliance with the law, failing to address the serious issue of certificate forgery.

Malaolu emphasized that the current legal framework imposes heavy penalties on legal practitioners, with fines of at least N5 million for petitions and N10 million for filing cases outside state provisions. The group argued that the omission of certificate forgery as a qualification issue marks a significant break from previous electoral laws, which allowed such allegations to be challenged in court.

They warned that this oversight could indirectly protect wrongdoers and erode public trust in governance, urging lawmakers to urgently review the controversial sections of the Act and amend it to include clear provisions regarding the verification of qualifications.