ATIKU SEEKS ELECTORAL REFORM TO PROTECT VOTE INTEGRITY
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the National Assembly to amend Nigeria’s Electoral Act, warning that a provision allowing discretion in ballot validation could threaten electoral credibility.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed concern over Section 63 of the Electoral Act, which permits a returning officer to count ballot papers lacking an official mark under certain circumstances.
According to him, the provision creates uncertainty in the electoral process and could undermine public trust in election outcomes.
Atiku argued that leaving ballot validity to personal judgment opens the door to manipulation, disputes, and possible abuse during elections.
While acknowledging that the clause may have been introduced to prevent voter disenfranchisement, he maintained that its wording remains too broad and lacks sufficient safeguards.
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The former vice president described the provision as a longstanding gap inherited from previous electoral laws and retained in the current legislation without adequate reform.
He called on the National Assembly to urgently revise the law by introducing clear and objective standards for ballot validation to eliminate discretionary interpretation.
Atiku also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to strengthen operational guidelines to ensure electoral officers rely on verifiable rules rather than personal judgment.
He appealed to international observers and democratic partners to pay attention to Nigeria’s electoral legal framework, stressing that the credibility of future elections depends not only on procedures but also on the laws guiding them.
The former vice president criticised lawmakers for allowing the disputed provision to remain through multiple amendments, saying electoral laws should be handled with greater caution.
He also said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shares responsibility for ensuring legislation undergoes thorough scrutiny before approval.
Atiku stressed that the issue should not be viewed as blame allocation but as a matter of accountability, insisting that legal loopholes affecting elections must be corrected to preserve confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
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