Electoral Act: Bugaje Says NASS Has Lost Credibility

Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Vice Chairman of the North West Usman Bugaje has knocked the National Assembly over the recently passed 2026 Electoral Act. The Act, the magazine reports, was passed last week and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had gone ahead to assent to it despite complaints by not a few Nigerians that it fell short of their expectations.

Critics of the new Act have criticized the Nigerian Senate and House of representatives for excluding the clause requiring real-time electronic transmission of election results. But Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his reaction last week disclosed that what the National Assembly passed reflected the true aspirations of many Nigerians.

But speaking on Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics the former PDP chieftain said the lawmakers have disappointed Nigerians and lost credibility as an institution.

Bugaje while also reacting to the remark of Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to the effect that the decision of the Senate was based on the results of the consultations it held with many Nigerians, said the comment of the former Lagos State Commissioner for Information was untrue, saying what the NASS passed was clearly a departure from the demands of Nigerians.

He accused the lawmakers of introducing ambiguity into the Electoral Act instead of acceding to the demands of many Nigerians for a real-time transmission of election results.

“I don’t agree with the position of the Senate Leader, Senate Opeyemi Bamidele. And I don’t think Nigerians agree with his position,” Bugaje said.

Adding “It is very sad that someone of his standing would speak in this manner. Is he assuming that Nigerians do not know what happened in the Senate? His own colleagues came out chanting ‘APC ole.’ The cameras were there. Nigerians saw it. You cannot insult our intelligence by pretending otherwise.

“The Senate resisted mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results. When pressure mounted, they introduced ambiguity instead of clarity. These things happened in full public view.

“Before this, there was the issue of the tax law, the version signed was reportedly different from what was passed. A committee was set up. Till today, Nigerians have heard nothing about that committee.

“So when the National Assembly has already lost credibility, what reason do we have to simply believe verbal assurances?

“Nigerians have consistently demanded mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results. Eight years ago, institutions responsible for communications infrastructure confirmed 93 percent network coverage and that was during the era of 3G and 4G. Today, we have 5G.

“Bandits in remote forests upload videos on TikTok. So what infrastructure excuse are we talking about? INEC itself said during public hearings that it is ready for real-time electronic transmission. So what exactly is the problem? Unless the intention is to rig,” Bugaje contended.

After signing the bill into law last week, President Tinubu said the country was not ready for real-time transmission of election results, because of internet infrastructure deficit, stressing that election results could also be hacked online.