Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, on Monday led protesters to the National Assembly in Abuja to oppose the Senate’s decision on the electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, tagged “Occupy National Assembly,” was organized by Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists, and civil society groups demanding that lawmakers reverse their stance on the electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Addressing the crowd at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, Obi criticized the Senate’s decision and called on legislators to allow the electoral process to proceed without restrictions. He said the introduction of limitations after voting could undermine the integrity of elections.
“Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?” Obi said.
He argued that the rejection of electronic transmission of results weakens public confidence in the electoral system and raises serious concerns about transparency and credibility ahead of future elections.
The protesters maintained that electronic transmission of results is essential to strengthening trust in Nigeria’s electoral process and urged the National Assembly to reconsider the clause in the interest of democratic integrity.
Participants at the demonstration included members of civil society organisations, women’s groups, and a handful of members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered at the main entrance of the National Assembly early on Monday.
A heavy security presence was observed around the complex, with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed to maintain order. Security personnel were stationed at strategic locations within and around the National Assembly as protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards calling for the restoration of electronic transmission of election results.
The protest follows the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which lawmakers rejected a proposal to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory, a decision that has continued to draw criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures nationwide.
