By Amah
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Pressure mounted on the National Assembly on Monday as former presidential candidate Peter Obi, alongside prominent activist Aisha Yesufu, led a mass protest in Abuja demanding urgent reforms to Nigeria’s electoral framework, chief among them, the approval of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, tagged “Occupy National Assembly,” saw Obi, Yesufu, youths, and pro-democracy activists converge at the entrance of the National Assembly complex to register strong opposition to the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of results in the ongoing Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards, the demonstrators urged lawmakers to reverse their position, insisting that electronic transmission of results directly from polling units is essential for transparency, credibility, and the restoration of public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Addressing the crowd, Obi faulted the Senate’s stance, warning that any attempt to weaken electoral safeguards would further erode trust in governance and deepen public cynicism toward democratic institutions.
“Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?” Obi said.
He called on lawmakers to allow the electoral process to proceed without restrictions, stressing that credible and transparent elections remain the bedrock of democratic stability.
The demonstration drew a heavy security presence, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed within and around the National Assembly complex. Patrol vans were stationed at key access points as operatives monitored the situation to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Despite the heightened security, the protest remained peaceful, with demonstrators maintaining that the National Assembly must act in the national interest by ensuring that the Electoral Amendment Bill guarantees unfettered electronic transmission of election results.
The protesters warned that any attempt to dilute the reform would further damage Nigeria’s already fragile democratic credibility, both at home and on the global stage.
