Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has sharply criticised the Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning that lawmakers’ decisions risk deepening public anger and undermining 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 on election timelines, penalties for electoral offences, and the use of voting technology, it rejected a proposal to make 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 lawmakers’ conduct often appears designed to provoke public outrage. She said Nigerians are justified in expressing frustration over what she described as poor judgment and repeated excesses by elected officials.
Ezekwesili stressed that anyone expecting citizens to remain calm in the face of such decisions is ignoring the realities of democratic accountability and governance. While cautioning against violence or incitement, she highlighted the responsibility of citizens to remain vigilant and actively defend democratic principles, emphasizing that freedom and liberty require constant civic engagement.
She 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,” Ezekwesili said.
On Twitter, she addressed the political class directly:
“Public Memo To: The Nigerian Senate, Senators, and the Political Class — Know When to Stop Playing with Fire. For the Senate to now deliberately preserve the same ambiguity, after witnessing its consequences, is an act of grave irresponsibility.”
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