Electoral Act 2026: Expert Warns Removing Certificate Forgery From Petition Grounds Could Undermine Nigeria’s Electoral Integrity
Concerns have emerged over the implications of the amended Electoral Act 2026, particularly the decision to remove certificate forgery as one of the legal grounds for filing election petitions in Nigeria.
A research analyst with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Dengiyefa Angalapu, warned that the change could significantly weaken accountability within the country’s electoral system.
PulseNets learnt that Section 138 of the Electoral Act 2026 outlines the conditions under which an election result may be contested. However, certificate forgery is no longer included among the listed grounds for challenging an election outcome.
Angalapu faulted the development while speaking in an exclusive interview, where he raised concerns about the broader implications for transparency and democratic integrity.
“I see this amendment as troubling because the credibility of elections is not only about how votes are cast but also about the integrity of the candidates contesting,” he said.
He explained that allegations of certificate forgery directly affect a candidate’s credibility and eligibility to occupy public office.
“Certificate forgery goes directly to the issue of honesty and eligibility for public office,” Angalapu stated.
The analyst told PulseNets that removing certificate forgery as a ground for election petitions could weaken an important layer of scrutiny traditionally used to assess candidates during post-election legal challenges.
“Removing it as a ground for election petitions risks weakening an important mechanism for scrutinizing candidates and ensuring transparency in Nigeria’s electoral process,” he said.
Angalapu further warned that the amendment could reduce accountability in Nigeria’s democratic system, noting that election petitions serve as a crucial avenue through which citizens, political actors, and stakeholders challenge electoral irregularities.
“Yes, there is a risk that it could weaken accountability. Election petitions are one of the key ways citizens and political actors challenge irregularities after elections,” he said.
He added that excluding certificate forgery from the list of permissible grounds for petitions may ultimately reduce scrutiny of candidates’ claims and academic qualifications.
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“If issues like certificate forgery cannot be raised in that process, it may reduce scrutiny over candidates’ claims and qualifications,” he added.
Angalapu also cautioned that the long-term consequence of the amendment could be declining public trust in Nigeria’s electoral framework.
“In the long run, this could erode trust in the electoral system if people feel that standards for those seeking public office are being lowered,” Angalapu said.
