Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday led a coalition of youth groups, civil society organisations and pro-democracy activists to the National Assembly in Abuja, protesting the Senate’s stance on the electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, tagged ‘Occupy National Assembly’, was organised to pressure lawmakers to reverse their position on the electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill — a provision widely viewed by critics as crucial to strengthening transparency in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Addressing demonstrators at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, Obi criticised the Senate’s decision 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 argued that rejecting electronic transmission of results weakens public confidence in elections and raises fresh concerns about credibility and transparency ahead of future polls.
Electronic transmission of election results is widely regarded by electoral reform advocates as a safeguard against result manipulation, allowing real-time uploading of results from polling units to central databases. The issue has remained contentious in Nigeria’s electoral reform debates, with supporters saying it improves transparency, while critics raise concerns about infrastructure readiness and network reliability.
Protesters at the demonstration echoed Obi’s position, insisting that electronic transmission is vital to rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s electoral system. They called on the National Assembly to reconsider the clause in the interest of democratic integrity and credible elections.
Participants included civil society organisations, women’s groups and members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered at the main gate of the National Assembly early Monday.
Security was visibly tightened around the complex, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed to maintain order and prevent possible breakdown of law and order.
Security operatives were stationed at key points within and around the complex as protesters chanted pro-democracy slogans and displayed placards demanding the restoration of mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
The protest comes amid sustained backlash following the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which lawmakers rejected proposals seeking to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory — a move that has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society organisations nationwide.
