A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of weakening Nigeria’s democratic system over the controversy surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, calling for his resignation or removal from office.

Okonkwo made the allegation during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, where he criticised the Senate’s handling of the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.

He argued that Akpabio’s insistence on retaining certain disputed clauses in the bill runs contrary to Supreme Court pronouncements and erodes public trust in the electoral process.

“Senator Godswill Akpabio has positioned himself as an enemy of democracy,” Okonkwo said. “By holding on to provisions the Supreme Court has clearly cautioned against, he is perpetuating a cycle of election rigging, manipulation and falsification.”

Okonkwo maintained that the Senate President should step down or be removed if he continues on what he described as an anti-democratic path.

The Electoral Act Amendment Bill recently passed its third reading in the Senate. One of its most debated sections, Clause 60(30), addresses the electronic transmission of election results.

While the Senate retained the provision allowing electronic transmission as stipulated in the 2022 Electoral Act, it rejected proposals for real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buying. Instead, lawmakers chose to uphold existing penalties, including fines and prison terms, for electoral offences.

The decision has sparked widespread criticism from political stakeholders and civil society organisations, who insist that tougher measures are necessary to guarantee free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.