Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, saying loopholes in the law contributed to irregularities during the 2023 general elections and could jeopardise the credibility of the 2027 general elections if not amended.
Atiku’s comments were made on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Atiku said the existing legal framework enabled “widespread rigging” and made it difficult for election petitioners to pursue redress in courts, stressing that rectifying the shortcomings observed in the last elections requires an urgent review of the electoral law.
He warned that failure to act risks undermining public confidence in the next general elections scheduled for 2027.
“It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed,” Atiku said, calling for comprehensive amendments to the 2022 Act.
Atiku further criticised the Senate for what he described as a lack of urgency in addressing the proposed amendments, stating that delays in the legislative process could further erode electoral integrity.
He accused lawmakers of frustrating the passage of amendments, despite widespread calls for reform by stakeholders and civil society groups.
The former presidential candidate said that fixing the electoral legal framework ahead of 2027 was crucial to guaranteeing credible and transparent elections, and emphasised that reforms must be completed well before the formal election cycle begins.
Calls for amendment of the Electoral Act have gained traction across Nigeria’s political discourse, with critics arguing that the 2022 law contains gaps that hinder effective technology integration, limit clarity on result transmission and complicate election litigation.
Atiku’s statement adds to growing debates involving civil society, political leaders and electoral authorities about the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral legal framework to prevent a recurrence of the challenges seen in the 2023 polls and to build public trust in future electoral processes.
Observers note that the National Assembly is working on amendments to the law, but stakeholders maintain that legislative action must be expedited to provide adequate legal certainty before the 2027 election timetable is finalised.
