Rep challenges 2026 Electoral Act on accepting ballot papers without security features

The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoto), has raised concerns over a provision of the Electoral Act 2026 which he said could undermine the integrity and credibility of the 2027 general election.
Dasuki, who raised the issue under matters of privilege during plenary yesterday, urged the House to consider pending legislative proposals seeking to address alleged loopholes in the law and assess the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for next year’s polls.
He expressed concern that a motion seeking to invite the INEC chairman to brief lawmakers on the commission’s readiness for the general elections, alongside a bill proposing amendments to the Electoral Act, had yet to be scheduled for consideration months after being referred to the relevant committee.
The lawmaker said the motion, which he co-sponsored with the House Whip, was signed by the Speaker on July 22, 2026, and subsequently referred to the Committee on Rules and Business.
He also cited a legislative journal dated June 10, 2026, which, according to him, showed that Bill 2780 had been considered on July 21, while the next bill, numbered 2781 and sponsored by him and the minority leadership, remained pending.
Dasuki said the bill sought to address concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, particularly a provision of Section 63 of the Electoral Act 2026, which he alleged could allow polling officials to accept ballot papers without the required INEC security features.
“Today, as we are talking, the 2026 Electoral Act has some credibility problems, and that is what we wanted to tackle,” he said.
He likened the alleged loophole to a situation in which counterfeit currency could be accepted by a bank simply because it was included in a bundle of money.
“It’s just like you saying, go to the bank, collect money. If you have the fake money inside the bank, for as long as it’s in the bundle, that means it’s accepted,” he said.
The deputy minority leader also urged the House to invite the INEC chairman to explain the commission’s level of preparedness for the 2027 general election, citing concerns over funding and security challenges across the country.
He warned against waiting until shortly before the election to assess the commission’s readiness, arguing that the National Assembly had the constitutional authority to demand an explanation from INEC.
“We don’t want to wait until on the eve of the election before we know what and what INEC is going to do. And we are the only ones as empowered in the constitution to ask the INEC how ready they are,” he said.
Dasuki further expressed concern about the commission’s funding, urging lawmakers to establish whether it had adequate resources to conduct the election.
He appealed to the Speaker to ensure that the pending bill and motion were scheduled for debate, noting that the next bill listed for consideration was numbered 2792, while his bill was 2781.
Responding, Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, assured Dasuki that he would look into the matter and explore the possibility of scheduling the motion for consideration within the week.
However, the Speaker questioned why the lawmaker had chosen to raise the issue during plenary instead of bringing it up at a recent leadership meeting, where he said it could have been discussed.
“Just a few days ago, we had a leadership meeting, and you had a very good opportunity to bring up this issue. So I don’t know why you have chosen to come and discuss this matter here,” Abbas said.
He, however, dismissed suggestions of any sinister motive behind the delay, assuring the lawmaker that the matter would receive attention.
“I have heard you, and I want to assure you that there is nothing sinister about this. I have heard what you have said. I will look at your issue, and we will try as much as possible within the week to accommodate the motion that you already brought before the parliament in July,” he said.