Senate President Godswill Akpabio has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared that Nigeria’s elections have become more transparent and credible since the party was voted out of power in 2015.
Speaking during Wednesday’s plenary as lawmakers debated the Electoral Bill 2025, Akpabio said the nation’s democracy has matured significantly through reforms and technological innovations introduced after the PDP era.
Reflecting on his time as Akwa Ibom State Governor (2007–2015) under the PDP, Akpabio admitted that elections during the party’s rule were plagued by irregularities and manipulation.
“You will agree with me that since the PDP left, elections have improved tremendously,” Akpabio said. “I recall that in 2007, when I was elected governor, the then President, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, publicly admitted that the election that brought him to power was flawed.”
The Senate President commended subsequent governments for closing loopholes that enabled electoral malpractice, noted that the introduction of technology has enhanced credibility across the system.
Commenting on the 2023 presidential election, Akpabio described the debate over the interpretation of two-thirds of the states and the FCT as unnecessary, adding that the Supreme Court’s judgment had clarified the matter.
He explained that the proposed Electoral Bill 2025 seek to consolidate democratic progress, strengthen institutions, and ensure greater transparency in future polls.
“We must continue to block gaps in our electoral system to build a stronger and more credible democracy,” he added.
