By Abuja’s Gift Chapi Odekina
Pro-democracy demonstrators occupied the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday, calling on lawmakers to specifically include a requirement for the electronic transmission of election results in real-time during the ongoing Electoral Act reform.
The protesters, who gathered at the complex’s main entrance in the wee hours of the morning, claimed that news that the Senate had rejected a provision requiring the electronic transmission of results was what spurred their action.
To avoid confusion and boost the legitimacy of upcoming elections, they demanded that the term “real-time electronic transmission” be explicitly included in the new law.
The demonstrators promised to keep up the pressure on the legislature until their demand was mirrored exactly as written in the final legislative draft, while holding placards with inscriptions demanding transparency and reliable polls.
They maintained that the absence of a clear clause might erode public trust in the election process and allow for manipulation.
Following the Senate’s consideration of the Electoral Act amendment, there is considerable discussion over the protest. The demonstrators insisted that clarity must be ingrained in the law itself, not left up to interpretation or administrative discretion, even though the upper house has since released explanations claiming that it did not reject electronic transmission and that its position is straightforward.
As the demonstration continued, there was a noticeable increase in security around the National Assembly. To uphold law and order and stop any security breaches within the complex, members of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were sent in. Additionally, there were certain restrictions on traffic flow in the vicinity.
The protest remained calm as of the time this report was filed, and demonstrators urged lawmakers to ensure that the modified Electoral Act guarantees real-time electronic transmission of election results, in accordance with international best practices and public expectations.
