Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom
Wike, has criticised former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi over his
opposition to provisions in the newly signed 2026 Electoral Act.
Speaking during a media chat on Monday, Wike reacted
to opposition parties’ rejection of the law, particularly the clause permitting
manual transmission of election results in cases where electronic transmission
fails due to poor network connectivity.
Wike alleged that Amaechi had previously advised
former President Muhammadu Buhari against signing a bill that would have fully
approved electronic transmission of results while they were in government.
“Under Buhari, when the issue of electronic
transmission came up, people like Rotimi Amaechi were in government and said,
‘No, don’t sign; if you sign, you lose election,’” Wike claimed.
“And this is the same person now coming out publicly
to say there should be electronic transmission, but he refused then because he
felt his boss would be affected,” he added.
Manual Transmission to Prevent
Disenfranchisement
Wike maintained that the new law, signed by President
Bola Tinubu, does not abolish electronic transmission of results but provides a
safeguard to prevent voter disenfranchisement in areas with poor network
coverage.
“They did not say there should not be electronic
transmission. All they said is in case — and which is likely — let us not
disenfranchise people by not allowing their votes to be counted,” he said.
Debate Over Direct Primaries
The former Rivers State governor also defended the
provision mandating political parties to adopt direct primaries for candidate
selection.
According to Wike, indirect primaries often empower
wealthy political actors — including governors and ministers — to dominate
party structures. He argued that the direct primary system introduced in the
2026 Electoral Act would help correct that imbalance.
He further described Nigerians as “professional
complainants,” noting that critics had previously faulted indirect primaries
for concentrating power in the hands of party elites and moneyed interests.
Opposition Pushback
Opposition parties, including the African Democratic
Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have called on the
National Assembly to immediately commence a fresh amendment process.
They argue that certain provisions in the 2026
Electoral Act are “anti-democratic” and could undermine electoral transparency
and public confidence in the voting system.
The debate marks another flashpoint in Nigeria’s
evolving electoral reform process ahead of future elections.
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