Former Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio of plotting to turn future Nigerian elections into an “empty ritual” and reversing the country’s hard-won independence, in a stinging critique of the ongoing Electoral Act amendment controversy. Adebayo’s remarks were shared on social media and during public commentary this week as debate intensifies over the bill’s provisions.
Adebayo said the leadership of Tinubu and Akpabio risked eroding democratic norms by stripping away key transparency reforms, particularly mandatory electronic transmission of election results from ballot units. He argued such changes would make elections susceptible to manipulation and diminish public confidence in electoral outcomes. “I believe they are trying to make our elections an empty ritual and reverse the very independence we fought for,” Adebayo said in a post summarising his criticisms.
The outcry follows the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, which removed a clause that would have made real-time electronic results transmission compulsory, a move Adebayo blasted as undermining transparency. He has repeatedly called on lawmakers to rescind that decision, warning that Nigerians will “not back down” if electoral integrity is compromised.
Critics of the amendment maintain that without robust transmission safeguards, election results can be altered or obscured, eroding public trust. Adebayo said such legislative moves risk mirroring patterns where elections lack credibility, urging the government to respect democratic principles and the will of the electorate.