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Chief Peter Ameh, former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has issued a stern rejection of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral laws, describing the reforms as deceptive, unnecessary, and a threat to democratic integrity.

Chief Ameh’s criticism focused particularly on the contentious Section 65 of the proposed amendments, which he argued would further entrench manipulation within the electoral system. According to him, the provision reflects INEC’s failure to maintain transparency and would give undue centralized control over election results to officials at the commission’s national headquarters.

“Section 65 reeks of a flawed system, revealing INEC’s failure to uphold transparency and accountability,” Chief Ameh said. “If INEC officials maintain neutrality and refrain from tampering with results declared at polling units, there would be no need for such draconian laws.”

He insisted that the key to restoring public trust lies in mandating the immediate and compulsory electronic upload of results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. “This is the only path to ensuring that every vote counts and the people’s mandate is protected,” he stressed.

Chief Ameh also raised concerns over the high cost of elections in Nigeria, lamenting INEC’s failure to propose meaningful solutions to curb the financial burden of electoral processes. He urged the commission to work with the National Assembly towards adopting a single-day election model to reduce costs and improve voter turnout.

“We demand that INEC propose to the National Assembly a framework for conducting all elections in a single day,” he said. “This will curb voter fatigue, eliminate apathy, and restore confidence in our democracy.”

In a broader call to action, Chief Ameh urged Nigerians not to remain passive in the face of what he described as attempts to hijack the nation’s democracy. He called on INEC to abandon the proposed reforms and redirect its efforts toward building a free, credible, and transparent electoral system.

“Nigerians deserve an electoral process that reflects their will, not one manipulated by a select few,” he emphasized. “I urge all Nigerians to reject this and should not stand idly by while our democracy is hijacked.”

Chief Ameh’s statement adds to the growing national debate surrounding electoral reforms and the future direction of Nigeria’s democratic process.