Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised the Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning lawmakers to desist from actions she said could heighten public anger and weaken Nigeria’s democratic system.
Ezekwesili made the remarks on Friday during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, two days after the Senate passed the Electoral Bill 2026 following hours of debate.
Despite the passage of the bill, the Senate rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. However, lawmakers approved amendments relating to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences and the deployment of voting technology.
Reacting to the development, Ezekwesili accused the political class, particularly the Senate, of consistently making decisions that alienate Nigerians.
“Stop playing with fire. It’s almost as if the political class, especially as exemplified by the Senate, just wakes up every morning and says, ‘What shall we do today to upset Nigerians?’” she said.
She noted that citizens were justified in expressing anger over what she described as the excesses and poor judgment of lawmakers.
“Now, anyone who at all supports the idea that it is okay for citizens to not be very annoyed at the excesses and the sheer lack of even wisdom on the part of our senators—I don’t know where that person is reading from,” the former minister stated.
While emphasising that violence should not be encouraged, Ezekwesili urged Nigerians to continue exercising their civic rights and remain vigilant in defending democratic values.
“Nobody wants anybody to be incited, but it is entirely necessary for citizens to know that they are acting within their right when they exercise what Thomas Jefferson… said—that eternal vigilance is the price that citizens pay for freedom, for liberty,” she said.
She further warned that lawmakers must not treat Nigeria as their personal estate, stressing that democracy belongs to the people, not politicians.
“These senators cannot run Nigeria as though it were their fiefdom. Nigerian democracy belongs to the people, it doesn’t belong to the politicians,” Ezekwesili added.
The Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill has continued to generate public debate, particularly over the decision to reject provisions mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Several civil society organisations and political analysts have argued that electronic transmission is crucial to enhancing transparency and restoring public confidence in the electoral process, especially after the controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections.
Elijah Adeyemi
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