Dalung Joins Protest, Accuses Tinubu, Akpabio of “Playing With Fire” Over Electoral Reform

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung joined protesters at the National Assembly on Wednesday, condemning President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for their handling of electoral reform legislation.

Addressing demonstrators demanding mandatory electronic transmission of election results, Dalung declared, “Tinubu and Akpabio are playing with fire. They’re terrible leaders.” He criticized the heavy security deployment around peaceful protesters while banditry and terrorism continue claiming lives daily across Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions.

“The number of security personnel here for a peaceful protest contrasts sharply with the insecurity ordinary Nigerians face,” Dalung stated, insisting the Electoral Act Amendment Bill “must pass” with binding provisions for real-time result transmission to INEC’s IReV portal.

The protest follows the Senate’s February 4 rejection of Clause 60(3), which would have mandated instantaneous electronic transmission. Though the chamber later approved a modified version permitting—but not requiring—e-transmission, critics argue it preserves opportunities for result manipulation during manual collation by designating Form EC8A as the primary legal document when networks fail.

Dalung, who served under President Buhari from 2015 to 2019, represents growing dissent within Nigeria’s political establishment ahead of the 2027 elections. His appearance alongside Labour Party and SDP supporters underscores deepening fractures over electoral transparency.

Protest organizers maintained non-violent conduct throughout the demonstration, with participants chanting for democratic accountability amid visible police and DSS presence around the National Assembly complex.