Atiku Abubakar urges National Assembly to amend Electoral Act's Section 63

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the National Assembly to urgently revisit the Electoral Act, specifically highlighting concerns about Section 63. In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar warned that this provision, which allows a ballot paper without an official mark to be counted at the discretion of a returning officer, could undermine election credibility. He stated that this clause opens the door to manipulation and is a direct threat to electoral integrity, arguing that a ballot paper is a legal instrument whose authenticity is central to the entire electoral process. Abubakar noted that this controversial clause is a carryover from previous electoral frameworks and was retained without sufficient safeguards. He emphasized that democracy cannot survive on ambiguity and that leaving such a critical decision to subjective judgment invites manipulation and chaos. He also urged the Independent National Commission to tighten its operational guidelines to prevent electoral officers from overriding verifiable standards with personal judgment. Additionally, Abubakar called on the international community, election observers, and democratic partners to monitor Nigeria’s electoral legal framework, stressing that the credibility of future elections depends on both the law and the process. He added that President Bola Tinubu has a duty to subject critical legislation to rigorous scrutiny before signing i