by Naomi Sharang
The Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, on Monday joined
hundreds of protesters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Obi was at the complex to protest the Senate’s decision to remove the phrase “real-
time” from provisions on electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral
Act Amendment Bill.
The protest, tagged: “Occupy the National Assembly,” was organised by members
of the Obidient Movement, alongside some pro-democracy activists.
The protesters accused lawmakers of attempting to weaken electoral transparency,
ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The agitation followed the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and
Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026 by the Senate last week.
One of key controversial aspects of the amended legislation is the deletion of the
word “real-time” in sections relating to electronic transmission of results, a move,
critics argued, could open door for manipulation.
Although the Senate had issued several clarifications, insisting that it did not reject
electronic transmission of results, protesters maintained that the absence of the
phrase “real-time electronic transmission” leaves room for abuse and post-election
interference.
Chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards bearing messages such as: “Our
votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” the
demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat toward the National Assembly.
They were, however, prevented from entering the complex by heavily armed
security operatives drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and
the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The security agencies barricaded the main entrance, thus compelling the protesters
to stage their demonstration outside the gates.
Addressing newsmen at the protest ground, Obi decried what he described as the
gradual erosion of democratic gains in the country, warning that credible elections
remained critical to national stability and development.
“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows
light in Africa,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr
Yunusa Tanko, said the protests would continue until the real-time electronic
transmission of results in the amended law was reinstated.
“If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our
elections must be credible,” Tanko said.
He claimed that previous elections had often been compromised by manual
interference during result collation, noting that electronic transmission was
introduced as part of reforms, following the 2011 and 2015 elections.
Recall that Nigeria’s push for electoral reforms gained momentum after the widely-
criticised 2007 general elections.
Subsequent innovations, including the introduction of card readers in 2015 and the
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022, were praised as steps toward
transparency, despite ongoing implementation challenges.
The provision for electronic transmission of results was also a major demand by
civil society organisations during deliberations on the 2022 Electoral Act.
The advocates argued that it would reduce human interference and rebuild public
trust in the electoral process.
Popular activist, Randy Peters, who also addressed the protesters, accused the
political class of betraying democratic ideals and vowed that demonstrations would
continue until their demands were met.
“Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The June 12
struggle was about free and fair elections,” he said.
Invoking the legacy of the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s
freest and fairest, Peters questioned why elected officials would resist reforms
designed to guarantee credible polls.
“In 2027, our votes must count. That is the most important thing. Tomorrow, they
will meet us here again,” he said.
Businessman, Isaac Fayose, who was also on ground said Monday’s protest at the
National Assembly complex is just a tip of the iceberg.
Addressing journalists at the scene of the protest, Isaac Fayose said the outcome of
the emergency sitting would determine if the protest should continue.
He said, “We all know what happens in a collation room. A collation room is a
room where you soak garri with water in the night and before you return in the
morning, it has swollen up and turned to eba.
“For Nigerians to be happy, what we need is electronic transmission of results.
They are already denying it. Let’s wait till tomorrow. This one is just a warning.
“Something that we spent close to a trillion to achieve, you want to throw it away
just like that? It’s like carrying our money and throwing it inside the gutter, no it
can’t happen like that.”
