A former Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mike Igini, has raised fresh concerns over what he described as three “dangerous provisions” in the 2026 Electoral Act, warning that they could undermine the credibility of future elections, including the 2027 polls.

Speaking on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Igini said his concerns emerged after a detailed review of the new law, despite his earlier disengagement from electoral debates due to disappointment with developments in the system.

He noted that beyond earlier concerns about Section 60(3), he had identified additional provisions he believes pose significant risks to electoral integrity.

Igini pointed to Section 63 of the Act, alleging that it allows presiding officers to accept ballot papers that do not bear INEC’s official marks or security features, provided they are “satisfied” with their authenticity. He argued that this introduces subjective discretion that could be exploited.

According to him, the use of the word “satisfied” revives a controversial clause previously contained in the 2010 Electoral Act, which was later removed after years of criticism.

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Igini warned that such discretion could enable the use of unauthorised ballot papers during elections.

The ex-REC also raised concerns about Section 138, which deals with grounds for filing election petitions. Igini said the provision suggests that actions or omissions contrary to INEC directives—but not explicitly against the Electoral Act—cannot be used as grounds to challenge election results.

He argued that this effectively shields electoral officers who fail to comply with INEC guidelines, noting that such directives are typically contained in the commission’s regulations.

Furthermore, Igini criticised Section 137, which he said removes the requirement to join electoral officers—such as presiding or returning officers—as respondents in election petitions involving allegations of misconduct.

He expressed concern that this provision could make it difficult to hold individual officials accountable for alleged irregularities during elections.

He said: “You know I said I have not been interested in so many things because I’m so disappointed, but I decided and said let me go through the Electoral Act.

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“I found that whereas the last intervention we had here were discussing about Section 60, sub-section 3, where the act provided a proviso that will undermine the 2027 official elections.

“I have now found a more dangerous three provisions, and I put them out, and I think that Nigeria can read it.

“First, let’s go to Section 63. Now, Section 63, which I just discovered, they have now reintroduced something very terrible. You can see it there that ballot paper that will be used for the 2027 election that does not bear the official marks and features, and security visions of INEC should be accepted by presiding officer.

“The Presiding Officer has now been given a discretion to now accept ballot paper, not withstanding the absence of the official mark, and to count that ballot paper.

“What that means is that before this election, politicians who now have access to the security features of INEC ballot, they are going to produce their ballot papers. They are going to print their own ballot paper to be accepted. This is dangerous and they put in the Electoral Act.

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“Similarly, may I show Section 138 that has been one of the rigging provisions that we have cried out to be removed. As a matter of fact, you remember that in 2019, in this current Republic under Buhari, was the only time that there was no Electoral Act passed. When we made that recommendation that this thing should be removed, this section should be removed, remember that it was rejected.

“It says that an act or omission which will be contrary to the instruction or directive of the commission, or of an officer appointed for the purpose of election, but which is not contrary to the provision of this Act shall not, of itself be a ground for questioning the election.

“May I make a few observation here. You see, when you want to deceive people, you put it in words and bring that section back again. They were just short of referring to INEC regulations and guidelines, because the instruction and directive of INEC are contained in INEC regulation and guideline.

“They are saying that a presiding officer, a coalition officer, a returning officer, they can abandon INEC directive or regulation. So they provided immunity there.

“Let’s go to the last section. It will interest Nigerians to know that section 137
now says that all those categories of individual, I think the other time, I provided you what we call a pyramid. All the categories that we have just mentioned, Presiding Officer, Returning officers. It says that where the petition, that is where anybody now to go to file a petition, complaints of the conduct of an Electoral Officer, a presiding officer, returning officer, it shall not be necessary to join such officer. That means that those who have disobeyed to follow INEC instruction and guideline, that it shall not be necessary to bring them to the court.

“You are now saying that the people who rig election, presiding officers, who actually were the maker of the document, you said, because you have joined INEC as a respondent, it shall not be necessary to bring them to the tribunal.”
(DAILY POST)

A fresh wave of defections swept through the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers realigned across party lines in what appears to be early positioning for the 2027 general elections.

At the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, read out a series of defection letters, reflecting a growing fluidity within Nigeria’s political space.

He dismissed concerns that the trend signalled an attempt to edge the country toward a one-party system, insisting instead that it underscores democratic freedom.

“This is to show the country that no party is stiffled. People are leaving the majority party to the minority parties and the minority parties to the majority party. This is the beauty of democracy,” Kalu said.

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One of the notable movements came from Lagos, where Thaddeus Attah, representing Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, dumped the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress.

In his letter, Attah attributed his decision to “the protracted crisis in the leadership of the LP,” which he said has hampered effective representation of his constituents in recent months.

The Peoples Democratic Party emerged as the biggest casualty of the latest round of defections, losing five members.

Among them, Abubakar Abdul from Niger State defected to the All Progressives Congress, while Yakubu Noma (Kebbi) joined the ADC and Ibrahim Mohammed (also from Kebbi) moved to the APC.

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In Osun State, two lawmakers—Mudashiru Alani (Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa) and Adetunji Olusoji (Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe)—left the PDP for the Accord Party.

However, the APC also recorded losses. David Fuoh (Taraba) defected to the PDP, while Bashir Zubair (Kaduna) joined the ADC, highlighting the two-way nature of the shifting alliances.

Defections are not new in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly as election cycles approach. With less than two years to the 2027 polls, lawmakers are increasingly recalibrating their positions in response to internal party disputes, electoral calculations, and evolving regional dynamics.

The current wave is partly driven by lingering leadership crises within parties—most notably in the PDP and LP—as both major and smaller parties intensify efforts to strengthen their ranks ahead of primaries.

For many legislators, party affiliation is often influenced by prospects for re-election, access to party structures, and alignment with influential political blocs at the state and national levels.

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Since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in 2023, the APC has maintained a numerical advantage in the House, but opposition parties have continued to jostle for relevance through strategic defections and coalition-building.

The emergence of parties like the ADC as beneficiaries of defections suggests a gradual diversification of the political space beyond the traditional dominance of the APC and PDP.

Analysts say the trend may intensify in the coming months as parties finalise their internal structures and aspirants begin to test their popularity ahead of primaries.

For now, Tuesday’s developments reinforce a familiar pattern: in Nigeria’s legislature, party loyalty often remains fluid, especially when electoral stakes are high.

The House adjourned plenary to Wednesday in honour of Kano lawmaker Hassan Danjuma, who died on April 10, 2026, at the age of 66.

A coalition of youths from the nine local government areas of Delta North has rejected the reported senatorial ambition of former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, ahead of the 2027 elections.

The position was made known at a press conference in Agbor, where the group’s spokesman, Benjamin Atagana Ofochi, accused Okowa of dominating the zone’s political space for decades.

The development comes days after political figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly urged the former governor to contest for the Delta North senatorial seat in 2027.

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The youth group argued that Okowa should step aside to allow other aspirants to emerge, citing what it described as long-standing control of political offices in the state since 1991.

They also referenced allegations of financial misconduct currently being handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urging him to focus on addressing those issues.

The coalition further raised concerns over what it described as an attempt to concentrate political power within one family, alleging that Okowa’s daughter is also seeking elective office.

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According to the group, such developments could limit opportunities for broader participation in governance within the district.

The youths called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC leadership, and party delegates to ensure a transparent primary process for selecting candidates in Delta North.

They warned that they would mobilise against any perceived imposition of candidates, insisting on what they described as inclusive and competitive politics in the district.