CNPP Raises Alarm Over Electoral Act Amendment, Warns of 2027 Risks

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has voiced strong reservations over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment, warning that the new law could undermine confidence in the 2027 general elections.

In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP described the presidential approval as “a missed historic opportunity to correct structural loopholes” identified by stakeholders during legislative deliberations.

Central to the group’s concern is a provision allowing a Presiding Officer to rely on Form EC8A for result collation where electronic transmission is deemed impossible due to network failure.

The CNPP argued that while it recognises technological limitations in remote areas, the amendment fails to establish “a transparent, objective, and independently verifiable framework” for determining genuine network failure.

According to the coalition, leaving such determinations largely to polling officials creates “an exploitable loophole capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process,” potentially reversing gains made through digital accreditation and electronic result transmission.

Beyond procedural concerns, the CNPP warned of security implications, noting that discrepancies between citizens’ observable network access and official declarations of failure could fuel distrust, confrontation and post-election disputes.

With 2027 approaching, the group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to introduce stringent, technology-driven safeguards, including real-time network verification and enforceable accountability measures.

“The survival of public trust in the 2027 general elections will depend not merely on the existence of laws, but on the integrity, transparency, and courage with which they are implemented,” the CNPP stated.