Nigeria’s umbrella body of political parties has accused the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu of passing an Electoral Act that “trivialises” certificate forgery and vote buying, warning that reduced penalties for election-related crimes are “anti-democratic” and could produce “feeble” leaders who determine the security of entire states.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council’s National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, made the remarks on Wednesday in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’, days after the new law was rushed through the National Assembly and signed by Tinubu within 24 hours.
“The new Electoral Act has, to a greater extent, reduced the laws for forgery of certificate and reduced the penalty for vote buying,” Dantalle said. “It is supposed to be a major offense. It is anti-democratic. It’s dysfunctional.”
‘Why Treat This With Levity?’
Dantalle challenged lawmakers to explain why election offenses should carry lighter punishments than before.
“Why should we see that as something that we treat with levity?” he asked. “We are talking of the person who will make laws and appointments, and we cannot allow the election of this individual to be feeble. Penalties for infractions should not be trivialised.”
He pointed to the high stakes of state-level elections, where governors serve as chief security officers with broad authority over welfare, security, and governance.
“You are talking of the election of the man who is the Chief Security Officer of the state, who determines almost everything in the state, who determines the welfare, the security of the people in the state,” Dantalle said.
“So these are the things we are saying.”
IPAC’s Recommendations Ignored
Dantalle revealed that IPAC had made “wonderful recommendations” during engagement with the National Assembly joint committee before the law was passed. The most significant proposal: removing INEC’s leadership from executive control entirely.
“One of the major recommendations we made was that if election must be fair and free, and if INEC must be independent, as the name implies, the appointment of the drivers of the umpire: INEC chairman and his commissioners should be taken away from the purview of the executive or the government in power,” he said.
IPAC proposed establishing an independent agency comprising legal luminaries, civil society organizations, and political parties to select the electoral commission’s leadership.
“Nothing was done about this recommendation,” Dantalle said.
The Law’s Swift Passage
The Electoral Act was passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Tinubu within 24 hours, a speed that raised eyebrows among civil society groups and opposition parties.
IPAC’s criticism adds to growing concern that the rushed process may have overlooked critical reforms needed to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system. By reducing penalties for certificate forgery and vote buying, Dantalle argued, the new law sends a dangerous message: that election crimes will be treated lightly.
What Comes Next
IPAC’s public rebuke puts the National Assembly and the presidency on notice. But with the law already signed, the only avenue for change is further amendment — something the ruling party appears unlikely to pursue.
For opposition parties and civil society, the battle now shifts to public awareness and political pressure. Dantalle’s warning is stark: when the stakes are governors and presidents, elections cannot afford to be “feeble.”
The question is whether lawmakers will listen — or whether reduced penalties for election fraud will become the new normal in Nigerian democracy.
