The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has condemned the National Assembly concerning aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 (as revised), especially the omission of certificate forgery and qualification-related matters as legitimate bases for election petitions.
The organization additionally urged the Federal Government to disclose the complete details of the revised legislation, rather than presenting the information piecemeal after its approval.
Speaking on behalf of the forum, its President, Akin Malaolu, voiced apprehension over Section 138(1) of the modified law, which restricts election disputes to only two bases: assertions of invalidity due to corrupt activities or non-adherence to electoral provisions, and claims that a candidate was not legitimately elected by majority lawful votes.
He also cited Section 138(3), which imposes fines of no less than N5 million for legal counsel and N10 million for petitioners who file cases outside the accepted grounds.
The forum indicated that the elimination of “qualification” issues, including accusations of certificate forgery, from the list of acceptable petition bases marks a significant departure from prior electoral laws that permitted such challenges.
Malaolu stated that members of the group had recommended its leadership take a stance on the situation, prompting a thorough examination of the new provisions and their effects on governance.
“We have pondered intensely on these provisions and conducted a critical self-examination of the quality of leadership in the current National Assembly, particularly its noticeable failure to contemplate the consequences of clauses that seem to favor forgery,” he remarked.
He cautioned that any legal framework viewed as permitting or protecting forgery could foster deceit, falsification, and misrepresentation within society, particularly in the educational sector.
“Fraud and forgery aren’t taught in schools, yet they flourish when society neglects to uphold standards that dissuade them,” he continued.
Malaolu emphasized the importance of maintaining legal and ethical standards, asserting that weakening such protections might have extensive ramifications for national integrity.
The forum warned that Nigeria’s democratic institutions could be compromised if identified deficiencies in the legislation are not swiftly rectified.
