Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters, Honorable Adebayo Balogun has dismissed concerns over alleged “pitfalls” in the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that Section 63 does not promote ballot stuffing but instead protects legitimate votes from being wrongly discarded due to administrative errors by polling officials.
Speaking during an interview in ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Balogun accused some former electoral officials of spreading “false information” and said “custodians of institutional reform are getting too partisan.”
Explaining the controversy around rejected ballot papers, he argued that ballots should not be discarded simply because a presiding officer failed to stamp them, provided they can be traced to the correct booklet and polling unit.
“It is unfortunate that people who are supposed to be custodians of our institutional reform are getting too partisan. For a former Resident Commissioner to give false information to the public is dangerous. The law says a ballot paper that does not meet the official mark prescribed by the Commission shall not be counted. This usually means it must be signed and stamped by the presiding officer. Fortunately, ballot papers are now personalized with unit codes. You cannot take a ballot paper from one unit and dump it in another. Subsection 2 says that where the returning officer is satisfied that a ballot paper—even without the official mark—is from the correct booklet used in that unit, they shall count it.
“The opposition has already benefited from this. It is misinformation to say this allows people to ‘stuff’ ballot boxes. If a presiding officer fails to stamp a paper because the ink dried up, should that invalidate a citizen’s vote,” he questioned.
Responding to concerns about the appointment of the INEC Chairman by President Tinubu, Hon. Balogun defended the current constitutional process, noting that while the President nominates the Chairman, the National Assembly must still confirm the appointment.
“Give me a better option. How else would you appoint them? The President recommends, but the National Assembly—made up of all parties—must approve. If you aren’t comfortable with the person representing you, vote them out. That is democracy,” he said.
Balogun also rejected suggestions that the National Judicial Council should recommend the INEC Chairman to guarantee greater independence, questioning what would make the body less controversial than existing institutions.
“What makes that body more independent? Even the NBA has issues with their own elections. This is a constitutional matter. It requires an amendment to the Constitution, not just one or two people saying something.”
Addressing fears over the APC’s influence on the electoral process, Hon. Balogun argued that too much attention is placed on the office of the INEC Chairman, insisting that elections are ultimately decided at the polling unit level.
“People overemphasize the role of the Chairman. Elections are won and lost at the polling units. The results are recorded by ad-hoc staff, mostly youth corpers. Our greatest breakthrough is the BVAS. You can no longer vote by proxy. If the presiding officers at the unit level ruin an election, there is nothing the Chairman can do,” he maintained.
Responding to concerns about public distrust and political tension surrounding the electoral process, Balogun said his responsibility as Chairman of the House Committee is to focus on facts, not allegations.
“My job is to get the facts. What is charging the atmosphere is wrongful allegations,” he insisted.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the Electoral Committee Chairman expressed confidence in the credibility of the process, saying the current committee is committed to delivering elections that are “credible, transparent, and inclusive.”
“For the first time, we have a committee determined to ensure a process that is credible, transparent, and inclusive,” he said.
He revealed that he personally sponsored proposals for early voting for essential workers and media personnel, while also backing amendments to Section 77 of the Electoral Act aimed at strengthening party registration and candidate verification through the use of NIN.
“I personally moved bills for early voting for essential workers and media, but other members killed it. We are trying our best. We also moved for Section 77, requiring NIN (National Identification Number) for party registration. You must prove you are a Nigerian before you can contest for President or Governor,” he stressed.
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