Electoral Act: Osuntokun urges Nigerians to hold INEC accountable

A former Presidential Political Adviser, Mr Akin Osuntokun, has urged Nigerians to demand accountability from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Osuntokun, a former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council and now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), spoke with our correspondent on Friday in Lagos.

He spoke against the backdrop of the recently signed Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 as well as the controversies surrounding the absence of a provision mandating ‘real-time’ electronic transmission of elections results in the law.

Our correspondent reports that President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 into law.

Reacting to the development, Osuntokun said Nigerians must take primary responsibility for safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.

“Honestly, I am a bit confused about the interpretation of this so-called Amended Electoral Act. I don’t know how much difference there is between the earlier controversial copy and the one the President has assented to,” he said.

According to him, beyond the debates over the contents of the law, citizens must remain vigilant and insist on transparency from electoral authorities.

“Whatever it is the case, at the end of the day, it is up to Nigerians to hold INEC to account,” he added.

Osuntokun added that democratic accountability could not be outsourced, stressing that civic vigilance before, during and after elections would determine the credibility of the process.

He expressed concern about the country’s political climate ahead of the next general elections.

“Personally, I believe that whichever way the elections go, Nigeria is in for a severe turbulence,” he said.

Osuntokun, who previously served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, noted that sustained public pressure and institutional reforms were critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

The ADC chieftain urged civil society groups, political parties and the electorate to remain engaged in the electoral process and demand strict compliance standards that will make votes count.

He maintained that the credibility of the 2027 elections would largely depend on citizens’ willingness to insist on accountability from electoral managers and other key stakeholders.

NAN further recalls that the two chambers of the National Assembly passed the bill on Tuesday after months of debate.

The law contains about 154 clauses,but Clause 60, which makes electronic transmission of results optional, generated the most controversy.

Initially, the House of Representatives passed a version of the bill in December 2025, mandating electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after vote counting.

The Senate, however, rejected mandatory electronic transmission and retained the provision in the 2022 Electoral Act allowing results to be transmitted to collation centres without making electronic transmission compulsory.

The Senate’s position attracted criticism from many Nigerians, who urged lawmakers to adopt the House’s earlier version.

However, on Tuesday, the Senate re-amended its decision and resolved that electronic transmission would remain optional, with a caveat that in the event of internet failure, Form EC8A would serve as the primary means of result collation.