Atiku seeks Electoral Act amendment

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised an alarm over a 'grave and dangerous ambiguity' in Section 63 of Nigeria's Electoral Act, which allows returning officers discretion in counting ballot papers without official marks. He argues this provision is a direct threat to electoral integrity, inviting manipulation and chaos, and undermines public trust. Atiku Abubakar has called on the Nigeria — National Assembly (Nigeria) to urgently amend the Act to establish clear, non-negotiable standards for ballot validation. He also urged the Nigeria — Independent National Electoral Commission to tighten its operational guidelines and criticized President Bola Tinubu for assenting to the legislation without sufficient scrutiny. The issue is framed as a matter of accountability to protect the sanctity of the vote and ensure certainty in Nigeria's democratic process.