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The Presidency has asked opposition parties to stop what it described as “constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage” over the newly amended Electoral Act and the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on February 26, 2026, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accused the opposition – particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – of making what he termed “reckless, spurious allegations” against the APC-led Federal Government.
Onanuga alleged that opposition figures, working “in cahoots with some civil society groups,” had embarked on a sustained campaign of misinformation against the National Assembly and the Federal Government.
He said the opposition was attempting to “impose their will on Nigerians and the legislature,” adding that the National Assembly remains the constitutionally empowered arm of government responsible for law-making.
According to him, the amendment to the Electoral Act was a response to prevailing electoral realities in the country.
Defending the amendment, the Presidency said the law allows for real-time transmission of election results while recognising Form EC8A as a backup in the event of network failure.
“The opposition’s claim that Form EC8A creates a loophole for manipulation is illogical and a needless tantrum by those who should know better,” Onanuga stated.
He argued that network glitches are a practical challenge and that the 2026 Electoral Act does not prohibit electronic transmission.
“It simply stipulates that if transmission fails, the result recorded on Form EC8A shall be deemed valid,” he added.
Onanuga also clarified that the IReV portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not a collation centre but a platform for public viewing of uploaded results.
“The primary source for validating election results remains Form EC8,” he said.
The statement also addressed opposition criticism of the reintroduction of direct primaries and consensus voting for candidate selection.
Onanuga described it as “perplexing” that opposition parties would reject direct primaries while favouring the delegate system.
“The opposition should be grateful to the National Assembly for removing delegate-based primaries and restoring party ownership to its members,” he said.
He added that no aspirant should fear participation by party members in the primaries, noting that such a system mirrors practices in the United States, from which Nigeria adopted its presidential system.
Responding to allegations that President Tinubu intends to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, Onanuga dismissed the claim as “cheap shots.”
“Nigeria is a vibrant multiparty democracy, with more than a dozen registered parties, including ADC and NNPP,” he said.
He described the opposition as disorganised and accused it of blaming others for its own shortcomings.
“President Tinubu is a democrat – an opposition leader who, alongside like-minded individuals, led the charge to defeat the PDP in 2015,” the statement read.
Onanuga maintained that the new Electoral Act represents a significant improvement over the repealed law, insisting that it closes loopholes that could be exploited for manipulation.
He accused opposition leaders of exaggerating the impact of the amendment and spreading misinformation to incite the public.
“In summary, the opposition is merely crying foul because the rules of the game have been adjusted to prevent manipulation,” he said.
The Presidency urged leaders of the ADC and NNPP to focus on strengthening their parties rather than engaging in what it described as needless outrage.
