Forgery Clause Removal In New Electoral Act Sparks Concern
The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has criticised the National Assembly of Nigeria over provisions in the Electoral Act 2026 that exclude certificate forgery and qualification issues as grounds for election petitions.
The group said the omission represents a major shift from previous electoral laws, where such matters were recognised as valid reasons to challenge election results.
According to its president, Akin Malaolu, Section 138(1) of the amended law limits election petitions to only two grounds—corrupt practices or non-compliance with the Act, and whether a candidate was duly elected by a majority of lawful votes.
He also pointed to subsection (3), which imposes penalties of at least ₦5 million on lawyers and ₦10 million on petitioners who file cases outside the approved grounds.
The forum argued that removing qualification-related issues, including allegations of certificate forgery, could weaken accountability and encourage misconduct in the political system.
It warned that such provisions may erode public trust and undermine democratic standards if not reviewed.
The group further urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to release full details of the amended law for public scrutiny instead of what it described as partial disclosures.
