Seun EMMANUEL
The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum has criticised the National Assembly over provisions in the Electoral Act 2026 (as amended), particularly the exclusion of certificate forgery and qualification-related issues as valid grounds for election petitions.https://urbanexpresslive.com/how-burna-boy-tems-became-african-artistes-with-most-billboard-hot-100-entries/
The group also called on the Federal Government to release the full details of the amended legislation, instead of making the content available in fragments following its assent.https://urbanexpresslive.com/dont-share-your-pvc-details-with-any-political-groups-adc-admonishes-lagos-inhabitants/
Speaking on behalf of the forum, its President, Akin Malaolu, expressed concern over Section 138(1) of the amended law, which limits election disputes to only two grounds: claims of invalidity due to corrupt practices or non-compliance with electoral provisions, and allegations that a candidate was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes.
He further referenced Section 138(3), which introduces penalties of not less than N5 million for legal practitioners and N10 million for petitioners who initiate cases outside the permitted grounds.
According to the forum, the removal of “qualification” issues, such as allegations of certificate forgery, from the list of admissible petition grounds represents a major shift from previous electoral laws that allowed such challenges.
Malaolu said members of the group had urged its leadership to take a position on the development, prompting a detailed review of the new provisions and their implications for governance.
“We have reflected deeply on these provisions and undertaken a critical introspection of the quality of leadership in the present National Assembly, particularly its apparent failure to consider the implications of clauses that appear sympathetic to forgery,” he said.
He warned that any legal framework perceived to tolerate or shield forgery could encourage dishonesty, falsification, and misrepresentation within society, especially in the education sector.
“Fraud and forgery are not taught in schools, but they thrive when society fails to uphold standards that discourage them,” he added.
Malaolu stressed the need to preserve legal and moral standards, insisting that weakening such safeguards could have far-reaching consequences for national integrity.
