Electoral Act Amendment: Peter Obi Takes Protest to National Assembly

Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, on Monday lead a coalition of protesters at the National Assembly in Abuja to challenge the Senate’s stance on the electronic transmission of election results.

The demonstration, tagged “Occupy National Assembly,” was spearheaded by Nigerian youths, civil society organisations and pro-democracy activists who are urging lawmakers to reverse the decision taken during consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Speaking to the crowd at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, Obi criticised the Senate’s position, warning that limiting electronic transmission could compromise the credibility of the electoral process. He called on legislators to allow elections to proceed without what he described as unnecessary restrictions.

“Let the process run its normal course. Whatever the outcome, we will accept it. Why create uncertainty after the process?” Obi asked.

He argued that the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of results weakens public trust in elections and raises serious transparency concerns ahead of future polls.

The protesters maintained that electronic transmission of results remains vital to restoring confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and appealed to the National Assembly to revisit the contentious clause in the interest of democracy.

The protest drew participants from various civil society groups, women’s organisations and some members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered at the National Assembly early Monday.

Security was tight around the complex, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed across strategic locations to ensure order as demonstrators chanted slogans and held placards demanding the reinstatement of electronic transmission of election results.

The protest comes in the wake of the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which lawmakers voted against making electronic transmission of results compulsory — a move that has continued to spark widespread criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups nationwide.