Electoral Act Amendment: Stop playing with fire — Oby Ezekwesili warns Senate

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has strongly criticised the Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning that the actions of lawmakers risk deepening public anger and weakening Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
 

Ezekwesili spoke during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, two days after the Senate passed the Electoral Bill 2026 following prolonged deliberations. While the upper chamber approved amendments relating to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences and the use of voting technology, it rejected a proposal that would have made real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
 

Reacting to the decision, Ezekwesili accused the political class, particularly the Senate, of consistently making choices that alienate citizens and erode public trust.
 

“Stop playing with fire,” she warned, suggesting that the conduct of lawmakers often appears designed to provoke public outrage. According to her, Nigerians are justified in expressing frustration over what she described as poor judgment and repeated excesses by elected officials.
 

She argued that anyone who believes citizens should remain calm in the face of such decisions is ignoring the realities of democratic accountability and governance.
 

While cautioning against violence or incitement, Ezekwesili stressed that citizens have a responsibility to remain vigilant and actively defend democratic principles. She referenced the idea that freedom and liberty require constant civic engagement and oversight by the people.
 

The former minister also warned lawmakers against treating the country as their personal preserve, insisting that political power ultimately belongs to the electorate.
 

“These senators cannot run Nigeria as though it were their private fiefdom. Nigerian democracy belongs to the people, not to politicians,” she said.