GOVERNANCE TRANSCENDS EMOTION
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has watched with undisguised disappointment the orchestrated hysteria by sections of the opposition over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Electoral Act 2026.
Let it be stated without equivocation: governance is not a popularity contest, nor is it a theatre for digital propaganda. It is a serious constitutional duty carried out in the best interest of the Nigerian people.
The opposition’s latest talking point -a romanticised and misleading narrative about so-called “real-time transmission” models in other jurisdictions -has collapsed repeatedly under scrutiny. Across several democracies where similar systems were experimented with, technological glitches, legal ambiguities, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and judicial reversals exposed the dangers of elevating political convenience above systemic integrity. Yet, our opposition continues to market half-truths as gospel.
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.
The people of Nigeria deserve reforms that strengthen institutions, not experiments that may compromise them. As the ruling party in Lagos State, the Lagos APC stands firmly with reforms anchored on legality, sustainability, and national cohesion.
Opposition is vital in any democracy. But opposition must not descend into distortion. Those who could not build durable electoral confidence when given the chance should refrain from lecturing those who are taking decisive steps to secure it.
Governance transcends emotion. It demands maturity over melodrama, substance over spectacle, and nation over narrative.
Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo
Lagos APC Spokesman
19/02/26.
