Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the National Assembly of deliberately stalling amendments to the Electoral Act as part of a calculated effort to rig the 2027 general elections.

Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last election, said shortcomings in the Electoral Act 2022 played a major role in the conduct of the 2023 polls, which he described as deeply compromised.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the former vice-president argued that loopholes in the law “paved the way for the brazen rigging of that election” and also made it extremely difficult for petitioners to successfully pursue electoral cases in court.

He alleged that lawmakers, particularly the Senate, are intentionally frustrating efforts to amend the Act ahead of the next general elections.

“It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed,” Atiku said.

“But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act.”

The former vice-president further referenced a recent report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), describing it as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely reminder of its legislative responsibility.

According to him, the “credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill.”

“It is, therefore, imperative that the Senate finalises the amendments and ensures the updated law governs the conduct of the 2027 elections,” he said.

“Anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast.”

Atiku warned that failure to urgently address the flaws in the current electoral framework would undermine public confidence and further weaken Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 polls.