The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the criticism trailing President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Electoral Act 2026 as misplaced and driven by political opportunism rather than national interest.

In a statement on Thursday, by the party’s spokesman Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the party said it had watched with “undisguised disappointment” what it termed orchestrated hysteria by sections of the opposition over the President’s decision to sign the amended electoral law.

According to the Lagos APC, governance is a constitutional responsibility that must be exercised in the best interest of the country, not a platform for popularity contests or digital propaganda.

The opposition had raised concerns over aspects of the amended Act, particularly provisions relating to the transmission of election results, arguing that the law does not guarantee real-time electronic transmission.

However, the Lagos APC dismissed what it described as a “romanticised and misleading narrative” about real-time transmission models in other jurisdictions.

The party argued that experiences in several democracies where similar systems were introduced exposed challenges such as technological glitches, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, legal ambiguities and judicial reversals, warning against elevating political convenience above systemic integrity.

It further questioned what it called the assumption that opposition parties possess exclusive insight into electoral reform, noting that reform is not the “intellectual property” of any political bloc.

The statement maintained that President Tinubu‘s assent followed due constitutional process, including legislative debate and institutional consultation, and should be viewed as an act of prudence rather than panic.

“Reform must be thoughtful, sustainable and legally defensible — not reactionary or driven by social media pressure,” the party stated.

The Lagos APC cautioned against attempts to weaponise public sentiment, stressing that democracy thrives on credibility and institutional durability rather than rhetoric.

It added that Nigeria deserves reforms that strengthen institutions without exposing them to avoidable risks, especially given existing infrastructural and logistical challenges.

While acknowledging that opposition is essential in a democratic system, the party urged critics to avoid what it described as distortion and melodrama.

“What manner of democracy suggests that the opposition alone possesses superior wisdom? Since when did electoral reform become the exclusive intellectual property of those who have consistently demonstrated administrative inconsistency when entrusted with responsibility?

“Their arguments are not rooted in patriotism but in opportunism – dressed in the facade of sincerity and national wellbeing. They demand absolute technological guarantees in a nation still confronting infrastructure disparities, yet they conveniently ignore the constitutional, legal, and logistical implications that accompany such absolutism.

“President Tinubu’s assent followed constitutional procedure, legislative debate, and institutional consultation. It reflects prudence, not panic. Reform must be thoughtful, sustainable, and legally defensible – not reactionary or driven by social media pressure.

“We caution those who seek to weaponise public sentiment: democracy thrives on credibility, not noise. Electoral integrity cannot be built on fragile systems designed more for headlines than for durability. Responsible governance requires anticipating risks before they mature into crises.”