Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, on Monday joined protesting youths at the National Assembly, Abuja, to challenge the Senate’s stance on electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, tagged “Occupy National Assembly,” was organised by Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists and civil society organisations demanding that lawmakers reverse their decision on the electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Addressing protesters at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, Obi criticised the Senate’s position and urged legislators to allow the electoral process to function without restrictions.
“Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?” he said.
Obi noted that rejecting electronic transmission of results weakens public trust in the electoral system and raises concerns about transparency and credibility ahead of future elections.
Protesters maintained that electronic transmission of results is essential to strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s elections and called on the National Assembly to reconsider the clause in the interest of democratic integrity.
The demonstration attracted members of civil society organisations, women’s groups and a few members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered at the main entrance of the National Assembly early Monday morning.
A heavy security presence was observed around the complex, with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed to maintain order. Security operatives were stationed at strategic points as protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards demanding the restoration of electronic transmission of election results.
The protest comes in the wake of the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which lawmakers rejected a proposal to make electronic transmission of results mandatory, a decision that has continued to draw criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures nationwide.
Elijah Adeyemi
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