The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has asserted that Nigeria’s electoral process has seen remarkable improvement since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was voted out of power in 2015.
Akpabio made the statement during Wednesday’s plenary session as the Senate debated a bill seeking to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and introduce a new Electoral Bill 2025.
A Reflection on the Past
Drawing on his own political experience—having governed Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015 under the PDP banner—Akpabio claimed that elections during the PDP era were rife with irregularities and manipulation.
“You will agree with me that since the PDP left, elections have improved tremendously in this country,” Akpabio stated.
He recalled a notable instance from the past: “I recall that in 2007, when I was elected governor, the then President, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, publicly admitted that the election that brought him to power was flawed and riddled with inconsistencies.”
The Senate President praised successive administrations for working to “block the holes” that previously enabled electoral malpractice, noting that despite remaining challenges, reforms and technology have strengthened the integrity of elections.
On the FCT Controversy
Akpabio also weighed in on the controversial interpretation of the constitutional requirement for winning a presidential election—specifically the debate over “two-thirds of the states and the FCT”—during the 2023 polls.
He described the debate as unnecessary, stating: “Some argued that winning the FCT alone was enough to become president. That debate wasted valuable time until the Supreme Court clarified the issue.”
Ultimately, Akpabio stressed that the new Electoral Bill 2025 aims to further strengthen Nigeria’s democracy by closing existing loopholes and ensuring greater transparency.
“We must find a way to block these gaps to build a stronger and more credible electoral system,” he concluded.
