The Presidency has urged opposition parties to end what it described as “constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage” over the Electoral Act and the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying their claims are misleading and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Federal Government faulted recent comments by leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who had held a press conference in Abuja.
Onanuga accused the opposition of making what he called “reckless and spurious allegations” against the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
“The opposition, particularly the ADC, has turned irresponsible political statements into an art form, all in a bid to attract cheap headlines and mislead the public,” the statement read.
According to him, opposition parties, working with some civil society groups, have engaged in what he described as a sustained campaign of disinformation against the National Assembly of Nigeria, with the aim of influencing legislative processes through false claims.
The Presidency explained that the amendment to the Electoral Act was designed to address practical challenges associated with elections, especially network failures.
“In response to the realities of our country, the National Assembly enacted an amendment to the Electoral Act that allows for the real-time transmission of election results and the use of Form EC8A as a backup in the event of network failure,” Onanuga said.
He dismissed claims that Form EC8A could be used for manipulation, describing them as “illogical and a needless tantrum by those who should know better.”
The statement added: “Any reasonable Nigerian understands that network glitches are a real issue. The 2026 Electoral Act does not prohibit real-time transmission; it simply stipulates that if transmission fails, the result recorded on Form EC8A shall be deemed valid.”
Onanuga also clarified the role of the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), operated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“IReV is not a collation centre; it is a platform for uploading results for public viewing. The primary source for validating election results remains Form EC8,” he stated.
Reacting to opposition criticism of direct primaries, the Presidency said the new provisions were aimed at strengthening internal party democracy.
“We find it perplexing why the opposition is crying over the inclusion of direct primaries and consensus voting, rather than the corrupt delegate system they prefer,” the statement noted.
It added that removing delegate-based primaries would return political parties to their members, insisting that no serious aspirant should fear open participation.
“This is how candidates are picked by party members in the United States, where we borrowed the presidential system of government,” Onanuga said.
The Presidency also rejected claims that lawmakers ignored public opinion in passing the amendments.
“The NASS did not ignore the public,” the statement said, adding that lawmakers consulted stakeholders, experts and citizens over two years.
It quoted the Senate Majority Leader as saying the consultations were necessary to address risks of technical failures that could invalidate elections.
Onanuga further dismissed allegations that President Tinubu was seeking to impose a one-party system on the country.
“A recurring refrain from the disorganised opposition is the false allegation that President Tinubu aims to turn Nigeria into a one-party state,” he said.
He described Nigeria as “a vibrant multiparty democracy,” noting that over a dozen political parties remain registered.
The spokesman also recalled Tinubu’s role in building opposition politics, leading to the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.
“President Tinubu is a democrat—an opposition leader who, alongside like-minded individuals, led the charge to defeat the PDP in 2015,” he stated.
The Presidency maintained that the new Electoral Act is an improvement on previous laws and closes loopholes that could be exploited for manipulation.
“Contrary to their deliberate misinformation designed to incite the populace, the new Electoral Act… is a significant improvement over the repealed law,” Onanuga said.
In his concluding remarks, he accused opposition leaders of protesting because “the rules of the game have been adjusted to prevent manipulation.”
“Rather than this constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage, ADC and NNPP leaders should spend more time on introspection and fix their own mess,” the statement added.