Leading anchors on Arise News, Reuben Abati and Rufai Oseni, disagreed on live television on Thursday over the recently passed Electoral Amendment Act.
The debate followed the passage of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 by both chambers of the National Assembly, approving electronic transmission of election results while retaining manual collation as a backup. President Bola Tinubu signed the bill into law less than 24 hours after its passage.
The development has since generated public controversy.
Speaking during the broadcast, Oseni criticised the legislature, arguing that the amendment was passed in a manner that raised concerns about independence and representation.
“They passed the law to make it mandatory for electronic transmission. Once you have two arms that are supposed to be separated and the Senate president is said to be loyal to the President, then it’s a problem for Nigeria because we can’t get effective representation,” he said.
Oseni further stated that the Senate should represent the people rather than act in the interest of the executive, stressing that Nigeria operates a democratic system, not an authoritarian one.
Abati, however, disagreed with the assertion, defending party loyalty within democratic systems. He cited examples from the United States, noting that political actors often align with party positions even outside parliamentary systems.
“So what do you expect Senate President Akpabio to say? To go against his own party or to go against the president of the ruling party to which he belongs?” Abati queried.
The exchange highlighted differing perspectives on party loyalty, separation of powers, and legislative independence in Nigeria’s democratic framework.
