Abuja — Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, on Monday led a protest 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 organised by Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists and civil society groups, who are demanding that lawmakers reverse their stance 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 decision, urging legislators to allow the electoral process to operate 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?” Obi said.
He warned that rejecting electronic transmission of results undermines public confidence in the electoral process and raises serious concerns about transparency and credibility ahead of future elections.
The protesters maintained that electronic transmission of results is critical to restoring trust in Nigeria’s electoral system and called on 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 few members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered at the main entrance of the National Assembly early 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 (NSCDC) deployed to maintain order.
Security personnel were stationed at strategic locations within and around the complex as protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards calling for the reinstatement of electronic transmission of election results.
The protest comes amid sustained criticism following the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which rejected a proposal to make electronic transmission of results mandatory.
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