In protest of the Senate’s ruling on the electronic transmission of election results, Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, led demonstrators to the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.
Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists, and civil society organizations organized the “Occupy National Assembly” protest, calling on lawmakers to change their minds about the electronic transmission provision in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Speaking to the demonstrators at the National Assembly complex’s entrance, Obi criticized the Senate’s choice and pleaded with members to permit the election process to go unhindered.
“Let the election go according to its regular course. We will accept the result, no matter what. “After the process, why create confusion?” he asked.
He claims that the Senate’s decision to reject electronic results transmission erodes public trust in the electoral process and raises questions about credibility and openness in the run-up to future elections.
The demonstrators urged the National Assembly to reexamine the provision in the sake of democratic integrity, arguing that electronic transmission of results is essential to boosting confidence in Nigeria’s elections.
Early on Monday morning, representatives of women’s organizations, civil society organizations, and a small number of members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) gathered at the National Assembly’s main entrance to participate in the demonstration.
In order to keep the peace, members of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were stationed throughout the complex.
While the demonstrators held placards and chanted slogans demanding the return of electronic transmission of election results, security guards were positioned at key locations within and outside the National Assembly.
The demonstration comes after the Senate recently passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, rejecting a plan to require results to be transmitted electronically. The decision has been criticized by opposition leaders and civil society organizations nationwide.
