The Presidency has accused some opposition figures, particularly leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), of making what it described as reckless and spurious allegations against President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
In a statement issued on February 26, 2026, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the opposition had “turned irresponsible political statements into an art form” in a bid to attract cheap headlines and mislead Nigerians.
According to Onanuga, some opposition elements, allegedly working with certain civil society groups, have waged “a relentless war of disinformation” against the National Assembly and the Tinubu administration.
“They are making false allegations in a bid to impose their will on Nigerians and the legislature, the arm of government constitutionally empowered to make laws for the country’s good governance,” he said.
The Presidency defended the recent amendment to the Electoral Act, explaining that the law allows for real-time transmission of election results while retaining Form EC8A as a valid backup in the event of network failure.
Responding to claims that the backup provision creates room for manipulation, Onanuga described the argument as “illogical and a needless tantrum by those who should know better.”
“Any reasonable Nigerian understands that network glitches are a real issue. The 2026 Electoral Act does not prohibit real-time transmission; it simply stipulates that if transmission fails, the result recorded on Form EC8A shall be deemed valid,” he said.
He also clarified the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), noting that it is not a collation centre.
“IReV is not a collation centre; it is a platform for uploading results for public viewing. The primary source for validating election results remains Form EC8,” Onanuga stated.
On the opposition’s rejection of direct primaries, the Presidency expressed surprise at what it termed resistance to reforms aimed at strengthening internal party democracy.
“We find it perplexing why the opposition is crying over the inclusion of direct primaries and consensus voting, rather than the corrupt delegate system they prefer,” Onanuga said.
He added that the National Assembly had removed delegate-based primaries to restore party ownership to members.
“No aspirant should fear participation by party members in the primaries. This is how candidates are picked by party members in the United States, where we borrowed the presidential system of government,” he said.
The Presidency also dismissed claims that President Tinubu intends to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, describing the allegation as baseless and politically motivated.
“Such cheap shots reveal their hollowness and lack of reason. Nigeria is a vibrant multiparty democracy, with more than a dozen registered parties, including ADC and NNPP,” Onanuga said.
He maintained that President Tinubu is a democrat who played a key role in leading the opposition coalition that defeated the PDP in 2015.
Onanuga insisted that the new Electoral Act represents a significant improvement over the repealed law and was the product of extensive consultations.
“For two years, according to the Senate Majority Leader, the National Assembly listened to various stakeholders, technical experts, and millions of Nigerians who expressed their views on the risk of technical failure that could invalidate the entire election,” he said.
He concluded that the opposition’s outcry was driven by frustration over reforms designed to curb manipulation.
“In summary, the opposition is merely crying foul because the rules of the game have been adjusted to prevent manipulation, such as result hacking, which they have allegedly perfected,” Onanuga stated.
He advised leaders of the ADC and NNPP to focus on internal reforms rather than what he described as “constant lamentation and unwarranted outrage.”
Presidency Slams ADC, NNPP Over ‘Reckless’ Claims Against Tinubu, Electoral Act
