In a recent interview with Daily Independent on Thursday, March 26, 2026, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Magaji Mato, has raised concerns over recent changes to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, warning that the amendments could weaken the country’s democracy.
Mato criticized the reforms introduced by the All Progressives Congress-led government and the National Assembly under Senate President Godswill Akpabio, he said many Nigerians are unhappy with the direction of the amendments and believe they may not serve the interest of the wider public.
According to Mato, the changes appear to favour the ruling party and could limit fair political competition and warned that such a trend may gradually push Nigeria toward a one-party system, where opposition parties struggle to operate effectively.
He explained that democracy depends on strong and active opposition, noting that any attempt to weaken other political parties could affect governance and accountability and stressed that when opposition voices are reduced, citizens may have fewer choices during elections.
The NNPP chieftain expressed concern that the amendments might discourage political participation, he said voters and smaller parties could feel sidelined if the system is seen as unfair or tilted in favour of those in power.
Despite his concerns, Mato maintained that the power of the electorate remains crucial, he noted that regardless of legal changes, Nigerians still have the ability to decide election outcomes through their votes and added that the credibility of elections will depend on how well institutions uphold fairness and transparency.
”Now again, coming back to the issue of the new electoral act, you will see that the APC-led government and the National Assembly, under the leadership of His Excellency, the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, have done a lot of amendments that even Nigerians are not really happy with, and they are geared towards really entrenching a one-party system in Nigeria,” he said. Read_More…