The Kwankwasiyya Movement has expressed deep concern over the recent passage and accelerated presidential assent to controversial amendments to Nigeria’s Electoral Act, describing the development as a dangerous signal of growing one-party dominance in the country.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Habibu Sale Mohammed, Ph.D, the movement said the amendments were pushed through despite widespread public protests, sustained advocacy by civil society groups, expert warnings, and strong public sentiment calling for stronger electoral safeguards.
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The group argued that the sequence of events surrounding the amendment underscores the dangers of unchecked dominance by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which it said now exercises overwhelming influence across both the executive and legislative arms of government.
According to the statement, the APC’s growing control has been significantly bolstered by defections from elected officials who originally secured their mandates on the platforms of other political parties.
“These defections are not merely political movements; they raise serious moral and constitutional concerns,” the statement read. “When elected representatives abandon the political platforms upon which they were entrusted with the people’s mandate—without clear ideological justification or consultation with their constituencies—it amounts to a distortion of democratic representation. The mandate belongs to the electorate, not to the personal convenience of officeholders.”
The movement stressed that Nigeria’s democracy was designed to operate on the principles of checks and balances, emphasizing that a vibrant opposition, legislative independence, and responsiveness to public opinion are essential pillars of constitutional governance.
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It warned that when defections systematically weaken opposition ranks, legislative scrutiny is reduced and executive proposals may pass with minimal resistance, regardless of public sentiment.
Citing the controversy surrounding the amended Electoral Act, the Kwankwasiyya Movement noted that despite nationwide demonstrations and position papers from respected civil society organisations calling for stronger transparency guarantees, the ruling party ultimately secured its preferred legislative outcome.
“This reinforces the perception that growing numerical dominance in the legislature is translating into diminished accountability,” the statement added.
The group cautioned that democratic decline often occurs gradually through the normalization of opportunistic defections, the erosion of institutional opposition, and the passage of laws that fail to reflect the popular will.
It maintained that Nigeria must resist any drift toward de facto one-party dominance, stressing that political pluralism, ideological competition, and respect for electoral mandates are crucial to preserving democratic vitality.
The movement called on elected representatives to prioritise loyalty to the Nigerian people and urged citizens to remain vigilant, peaceful, and actively engaged in safeguarding democratic institutions.
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“Nigeria’s democracy belongs to its people. It must not be weakened by convenience, nor compromised by concentration of power,” the statement concluded.