Atiku urges National Assembly to amend Electoral Act over ballot provision

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the National Assembly to urgently review a controversial section of the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment), warning that it could weaken the credibility of future elections if left unchanged.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku criticised Section 63 of the law, which allows ballot papers without an official mark to be counted at the discretion of a returning officer.

The former presidential candidate described the provision as a major threat to electoral transparency, arguing that it creates room for abuse and manipulation.

“A ballot paper is not an ordinary piece of paper—it is a legal instrument whose authenticity is central to the credibility of the entire electoral process,” Atiku said.
“This is not a minor technical issue—it is a direct threat to electoral integrity.”

Atiku said lawmakers should have exercised greater caution in passing provisions that directly affect democratic processes, stressing that any ambiguity in election laws could lead to disputes and public distrust.

According to him, leaving the validity of ballots to subjective judgment opens dangerous loopholes capable of undermining the will of voters.

“A democracy cannot survive on ambiguity. A ballot must either meet the standard or it does not,” he stated.

The Waziri Adamawa also noted that the disputed clause was inherited from previous electoral laws and was retained in the current amendment without stronger safeguards.